Nucleus-Encoded Male Sterility Through Mutation In Cytochrome P450 Oxidase

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to plants having a nucleus-encoded, recessive, male sterile phenotype and to the gene locus (gst) correlating therewith, including the gene which is responsible for the fertile/sterile phenotype and which is mutated in the sterile phenotype. The invention further provides methods for identifying the genotype correlating with the expression of features indicated above, and the corresponding genetic tools, such as hybridization probes and oligonucleotides. Also described is the use of the plants obtained according to the invention in hybrid breeding and in the production of products obtained from renewable raw materials, such as bioethanol, biogas and sugar-based products.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of simplifying labor-intensive breeding programs by means of molecular biology methods, marker technologies and genetic engineering. In particular, plants are provided that exhibit a homozygous nucleus-encoded male sterile phenotype through spontaneous mutation of a gene region in the nucleus genome, distinguished in that the mutation is obtained through a recessive trait expression, in contrast to CMS (cytoplasmic male sterility), such that there is no need to obtain both sterile and fertile genotypes in a breeding program. In this regard, the present invention provides plants, in particular sugar beets or potatoes, in which a mutation resulting in the aforementioned trait expression is detected by means of marker technologies in a cytochrome P450 oxidase (CYPgst) gene and the corresponding method for identifying this mutation. Furthermore, a CYPgst protein, a DNA molecule containing the mutated gene resulting in the aforementioned trait expression, a recombinant DNA molecule that provides the wild type gene, a promoter for specific expressions of this gene, or a heterologous gene in flowers and/or fruits of plants and/or a nucleotide sequence that encodes inhibitors of the CYPgst gene, and corresponding vectors and host cells, are provided.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to plants modified through genetic engineering that have a recessive, nucleus-encoded male sterile phenotype through inhibition of the expression of the CYPgst gene, the respective inhibitors, and methods for inhibiting the gene and methods for restoring fertility. The invention also relates to the use of the plants in hybrid breeding, resistance breeding and/or seed production. Furthermore, the invention comprises seeds or descendants, organs, plant parts, tissues or cells of the plants according to the invention, as well as the use thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Crossbreeding is carried out in sugar beets (Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris) as well as in all other cultivated plants for a controlled generation of genetic variation. Anthers carrying pollen are manually removed from still closed flowers of the seed parent. Pollination then also takes place manually by applying the pollen from the pollen donor to the stigma of the seed parent. Alternatively, pollination can also be obtained after removing the anthers on the flowers of the seed parent by placing the pollen donor in the spatial proximity of the seed parent for flowering and pollen delivery. In any case, this involves extremely labor-intensive protocols, which are very prone to error, because if only part of the anthers in a flower are removed, self pollination may occur, for example.

The production of (commercial) hybrid seeds currently takes place frequently through crossbreeding seed parent components in genotypes exhibiting CMS (cytoplasmic male sterility) and subsequent backcrossing in order to increase the genetic portion of seed parent components. The resulting male sterile seed parent components can subsequently be planted on a large scale, and pollination takes place though pollen donors growing close by (topcross method). Because the CMS dominant gene is inherited from the female, the use of CMS lines requires that fertile maintainer lines (thus not O-types embedded in CMS) must be kept available at the same time, which ensure pollination of the CMS lines. This requires a great deal of planning and production effort, as well a complex logistics. By way of example, commercial sugar beets are presently bred as triple hybrids, in order to produce seeds of a sufficiently high quality. The production of hybrids in breeding programs is likewise expensive and labor intensive, and is presently implemented by erecting dividing walls.

There are expressions of lines or genotypes in numerous types of plants that exhibit a naturally occurring nucleus-encoded male sterility (ms: male sterility). This is normally caused by spontaneous mutation of a gene in the nuclear genome, and this mutation is obtained through a recessive trait expression. The use of genotypes with nucleus-encoded male sterile phenotypes is appropriate for simplifying breeding processes and/or using these processes for generating hybrid seeds. The male sterile phenotypes thereby have the advantage that the anthers do not have to be removed manually for the crossbreeding, and fertile and sterile genotypes to not need to be obtained at the same time, because the heterozygous genotypes divide in turn in each reproductive cycle into fertile and sterile individuals through self-fertilization.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide means and methods for using the nucleus-encoded male sterility in crop plants, in particular sugar beets and potatoes. This object is achieved in accordance with the invention through the embodiments characterized in the claims and the description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of simplifying labor-intensive breeding programs, marker technology and genetic engineering. The invention results in plants that exhibit a nucleus-encoded, recessive, male sterile phenotype through mutation in a DNA segment comprising a cytochrome P450 oxidase (CYPgst). The CYPgst gene and the mutation are identified using marker technologies and molecular biology methods. Because the mutation remains intact through the recessive trait expression, and heterozygous genotypes are then divided into fertile and sterile genotypes through self-fertilization in each reproductive cycle, there is no need to obtain fertile maintainer lines at the same time. In addition, the findings can be used for generating transgenic plants with a nucleus-encoded, recessive, male sterile phenotype, and to restore fertility.

The present invention therefore relates to embodiments listed in the following under paragraphs [1] to [36], and which are illustrated in the examples.

-   [1] A plant, in particular a crop plant, exhibiting a recessive,     nucleus-encoded male sterile phenotype, characterized in that the     phenotype correlates to a mutation, comprised by the endogenous     cytochrome P450 oxidase (CYPgst) gene, or to the absence, or lower     content in comparison with a corresponding (male fertile) wild type     plant, or activity of a functional CYPgst protein encoded by the     wild type CYPgst gene, characterized in that the non-mutated CYPgst     gene is a) the gene BvCYPgst from Beta vulgaris, which preferably     comprises a nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID No. 1 or 2, or encodes the     amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 3 or its homolog, analog or     ortholog, b) the gene StCYPgst from Solanum tuberosum, preferably     comprising the nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID No. 12 or 13, or     encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 14, or its homolog,     analog, or ortholog, or c) the gene ZmCYPgst from Zea mays,     preferably comprising the nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID Nos. 9 or     10, or encoding the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 11, or its     homolog, analog, or ortholog. -   [2] The plant according to paragraph [1], which is heterozygous for     the mutation and male fertile, or homozygous for the mutation and     male sterile, wherein the formation of functional pollen is     suppressed, preferably entirely suppressed, in the sterile plants. -   [3] The plant according to paragraph [1] or [2], wherein the CYPgst     gene is expressed at least in closed flowers and fruits. -   [4] The plant according to any of the paragraphs [1] to [3], wherein     the mutation prevents transcription and/or translation of a     functional protein, preferably wherein the mutation concerns a     deletion, addition, insertion, or substitution in the encoding     nucleotide sequence of the CYPgst gene, a splicing signal, or in a     regulatory sequence, preferably the promoter sequence, of the CYPgst     gene. In a preferred embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule has a     mutation that can also be found in the nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID     No. 8 in comparison with the wild type gene in SEQ ID No. 1. In     particular, the mutation can be a deletion between nucleotide     positions 1560 and 2095 of SEQ ID No. 1 or corresponding positions     in SEQ ID Nos. 12 or 9. The deletion can comprise at least 20, 30 or     50 consecutive base pairs, preferably at least 100, 150, 200 or 250     consecutive base pairs, and particularly preferably at least 300,     400 or 500 consecutive base pairs. In a particularly preferred     embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide     sequence according to SEQ ID No. 8. In another preferred embodiment,     the nucleic acid molecule has a point mutation in the nucleotide     sequence of SEQ ID No. 1 according to Table 1, preferably between     nucleotide positions 1560 and 2095 of SEQ ID No. 1. -   [5] The plant according to paragraph [4], wherein in Beta vulgaris,     preferably Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, the deletion can be     detected through the absence of one or both marker loci sle5983d14     (amplification product of the primer with SEQ ID Nos. 4 and 5) and     sle5983d17 (amplification product of the primer with SEQ ID Nos. 6     and 7) and through the presence of a ubiquitous marker. -   [6] The plant according any of the paragraphs [1] through [5],     wherein the gene is located in Beta vulgaris, preferably Beta     vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, in a segment on chromosome 1 between     marker loci sxn2151s01 and sle3305s02, wherein the sxn2151s01 marker     sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 24 and the sle3305s02 marker sequence     shown in SEQ ID No. 26 display the presence of the gst locus, and     the sxn2151s01 marker sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 25 and the     sle3305s02 marker sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 27 display the     reference sequence. -   [7] The plant according to paragraph [6], wherein the sequence is     approx. 50 to 5,000 kbp, 100 to 1,000 kbp, more preferably 100 to     500 kbp, and particularly preferably 200 to 250 kbp. -   [8] The plant according to any of the paragraphs [1] to [7], wherein     the non-mutated gene is the functional gene BvCYPgst from Beta     vulgaris, preferably Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, or a     functional homologous, analogous, or orthologous gene of another     cultivated or crop plant. -   [9] The plant according to paragraph [8], wherein the homologous,     analogous, or orthologous gene is a Zea mays gene, which preferably     comprises a nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID Nos. 9 or 10, or encodes     the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 11, a Solanum tuberosum gene,     which preferably comprises a nucleotide sequence displayed in SEQ ID     No. 12 or 13, or encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 14, a     Triticum aestivum gene, which preferably encodes the amino acid     sequence in SEQ ID No. 15, a Helianthus annuus gene, which     preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 16, a     Hordeum vulgare gene, which preferably encodes the amino acid     sequence in SEQ ID No. 17, a Brassica napus gene, which preferably     encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 18, a Brassica     oleracea gene, which preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in     SEQ ID No. 19, a Brassica rapa gene, which preferably encodes the     amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 20, a Glycine max gene, which     preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 21, a     Gossypium gene, which preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in     SEQ ID No. 22, or a Sorghum bicolor gene, which preferably encodes     the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 23. -   [10] The plant according to any of the paragraphs [1] to [9],     wherein the non-mutated gene (wild type gene) has a nucleotide     sequence selected from the group comprising:     -   (a) a nucleotide sequence with the nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID         No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 2, or a functional fragment thereof (see,         e.g., FIGS. 4A and 4B);     -   (b) a nucleotide sequence that encodes the amino acid sequence         in SEQ ID No. 3;     -   (c) a nucleotide sequence capable of hybridization on a         nucleotide sequence complementary to a nucleotide sequence         according to (a) or (b) under stringent conditions;     -   (d) a nucleotide sequence that encodes an amino acid sequence,         which has deviations from the amino acid sequence according to         SEQ ID No. 3 in the form of amino acid deletions, substitutions,         additions, and/or insertions in the amino acid sequence and is         preferably identical to at least 60% of the entire amino acid         sequence;     -   (e) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a protein with the same         enzymatic activity as the protein encoded by the nucleotide         sequence according to any of the nucleotide sequences (a) to         (d); and     -   (f) a nucleotide sequence that comprises at least 200 or 400,         preferably at least 600 or 800, particularly preferably at least         1,000 consecutive nucleotides from the promoter of the nucleic         acid sequence from SEQ ID No. 1 of nucleotide positions 1 to         1518, preferably nucleotide positions 518 to 1518, particularly         preferably nucleotide positions 1318-1518, or a sequence that is         hybridized at this region, wherein the nucleotide sequence is         capable of controlling the expression of the gene, or a         heterologous nucleic acid molecule operatively linked to the         nucleotide sequence, specifically in closed flowers or fruit.         -   A nucleotide sequence according to (c), (d) or (e) is a             nucleotide sequence, for example, that displays the             nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID No. 12 or SEQ ID No. 13, or a             functional fragment thereof, or encodes the amino acid             sequence in SEQ ID No. 14. Furthermore, a nucleotide             sequence according to (c), (d) or (e) is a nucleotide             sequence, for example, that displays the nucleotide sequence             in SEQ ID No. 9 or SEQ ID No. 10, or a functional fragment             thereof, or encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID             No. 11. Furthermore, a nucleotide sequence according to             (c), (d) or (e) is a nucleotide sequence, for example, that             encodes an amino acid sequence selected from the group             composed of SEQ ID Nos. 15-23. -   [11] A plant according to any of the paragraphs [1] to [10], wherein     the plant is an inbred plant or a hybrid plant. -   [12] A plant according any of the paragraphs [1] to [11], that is a     plant from the genus Zea, Solanum, Triticum, Triticale, Helianthus,     Secale, Hordeum, Brassica, Brachypodium, Glycine, Gossypium,     Sorghum, Saccharum, Setaria, Aegilops, Oryza, Daucus, Eucalyptus,     Erythranthe, Genlisea, Musa, Avena, Nicotiana, Coffea, Vitis,     Cucumis, Morus, Crucihimalaya, Cardamine, Lepidium, Capsella,     Olimarabidopsis, Arabis, Raphanus, Eruca, Citrus, Jatropha, Populus,     or Beta, preferably a plant of the type Zea mays, Solanum tuberosum,     Triticum aestivum, Triticum durum, Triticum spelta, Helianthus     annuus, Secale cereal, Hordeum vulgare, Hordeum bulbosum, Brassica     napus, Brassica oleracea, Brassica rapa, Brassica juncacea, Brassica     nigra, Glycine max, Gossypium sp., Sorghum bicolor, Triticale,     Saccharum officinarum, Setaria italica, Oryza sativa, Oryza minuta,     Oryza australiensis, Oryza alta, Brachypodium distachyon, Hordeum     marinum, Aegilops tauschii, Daucus glochidiatus, Daucus pusillus,     Daucus muricatus, Daucus carota, Eucalyptus grandis, Erythranthe     guttate, Genlisea aurea, Musa sp., Avena sp., Nicotiana sylvestris,     Nicotiana tabacum, Nicotiana tomentosiformis, Solanum lycopersicum,     Coffea canephora, Vitis vinifera, Cucumis sativus, Morus notabilis,     Crucihimalaya himalaica, Crucihimalaya wallichii, Cardamine     flexuosa, Lepidium virginicum, Capsella bursa-pastoris,     Olimarabidopsis pumila, Arabis hirsute, Raphanus sativus, Eruca     vesicaria sativa, Citrus×sinensis, Jatropha curcas, Populus     trichocarpa or Beta vulgaris. -   [13] A nucleic acid molecule or recombinant DNA molecule, comprising     a nucleotide sequence as defined in paragraph [10]. -   [14] The recombinant DNA molecule according to paragraph [13],     which (i) comprises a promoter with a nucleotide sequence as defined     in paragraph [10] (f), which is operatively linked to a heterologous     nucleic acid molecule, or (ii) comprises an encoding nucleotide     sequence as defined in paragraph [10] (a)-(e), which is operatively     linked to a heterologous promoter, preferably capable of controlling     the expression of the nucleotide sequence specifically in closed     flowers or fruit. -   [15] A recombinant DNA molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence     that encodes an shRNA (small hairpin RNA), siRNA (small interfering     RNA), negative sense RNA, positive sense RNA or double strand RNA,     which leads to inhibition of the expression of the functional     (non-mutated) CYPgst gene after expression in a plant cell or after     introduction into a plant cell. In a preferred embodiment, the     nucleotide sequence has at least 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20,     preferably at least 21, 22, 23, 24, or 25, particularly preferably     at least 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50, and very particularly preferably at     least 100, 200, 300, 500, or 1,000, consecutive nucleotides of the     SEQ ID No. 1, 2, 9, 10, 12, or 13 in positive or negative sense     orientation, or from at least one exon 1 of SEQ ID No. 1 from     nucleotide position 1762-2679 and the exon 2 of SEQ ID No. 1 from     nucleotide position 3507-4142. Exon 1 of SEQ ID No. 12 extends from     nucleotide position 1762-2032, exon 2 of SEQ ID No. 12 extends from     nucleotide position 2449-2161, and exon 3 of SEQ ID No. 12 extends     from nucleotide position 4032-4694. Exon 1 of SEQ ID No. 9 extends     from nucleotide position 2001-2927, and exon 2 of SEQ ID No. 9     extends from nucleotide position 3018-3683. In another preferred     embodiment, the nucleotide sequence has at least 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,     or 20, preferably at least 21, 22, 23, 24, or 25, particularly     preferably at least 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50, and very particularly     preferably at least 100, 200, 300, 500, or 1,000 consecutive     nucleotides, which are capable of specific hybridization on a     nucleotide sequence as defined in paragraph [10]. -   [16] A nucleic acid molecule that comprises a nucleotide sequence as     defined in paragraph [10], with a mutation in the form of a     deletion, addition, insertion, or substitution, wherein this     mutation results in no synthesis of functional CYPgst proteins. The     mutation is preferably in the encoding nucleotide sequence of the     CYPgst gene, located in a splicing signal, or in a regulatory     sequence of the CYPgst gene, preferably in the promoter of the     CYPgst gene. In a preferred embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule     has a mutation that can also be found in the nucleotide sequence     according to SEQ ID No. 8. In particular, the mutation can be a     deletion between nucleotide positions 1560 and 2095 of SEQ ID No. 1     or corresponding positions in SEQ ID Nos. 12 or 9. The deletion can     have a length of at least 20, 30 or 50 consecutive base pairs and     particularly preferably at least 100, 150, 200, or 250 consecutive     base pairs, and particularly preferably at least 300, 400, or 500     consecutive base pairs. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the     nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence according to     SEQ ID No. 8. In another preferred embodiment, the nucleic acid     molecule has a point mutation in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID     No. 1 according to Table 1, preferably between nucleotide positions     1560 and 2095 of SEQ ID No. 1. -   [17] A nucleic acid molecule of at least 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20,     preferably at least 21, 22, 23, 24, or 25, particularly preferably     at least 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50, and very particularly preferably at     least 100, 200, 300, 500, or 1,000 consecutive nucleotides in SEQ ID     Nos. 1, 2, 9, 10, 12, or 13 in positive and/or negative sense     orientation, or at least one exon of SEQ ID Nos. 1, 9, or 12 in     positive and/or negative sense orientation. Exon 1 in SEQ ID No. 1     extends from nucleotide position 1762-2679, and exon 2 in SEQ ID No.     1 extends from nucleotide position 3507-4142. Exon 1 in SEQ ID No.     12 extends from nucleotide position 1762-2032, exon 2 in SEQ ID No.     12 extends from nucleotide position 2449-3161, and exon 3 of SEQ ID     No. 12 extends from nucleotide position 4032-4694. Exon 1 in SEQ ID     No. 9 extends from nucleotide position 2001-2927, and exon 2 in SEQ     ID No. 9 extends from nucleotide position 3018-3683. In a special     embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule extends over at least one     intron in SEQ ID No. 1, SEQ ID No. 9, or SEQ ID No. 12, i.e. the     nucleic acid molecule successively comprises i) at least one     nucleotide from the 3′ end of exon 1 in SEQ ID No. 1 (preferably the     last nucleotide of exon 1 of SEQ ID No. 1 in the 5′-3′ direction;     corresponding to the nucleotide at position 583 in SEQ ID No. 2) and     at least one nucleotide from the 5′ end of exon 2 in SEQ ID No. 1     (preferably the first nucleotide of exon 2 in SEQ ID No. 1 in the     5′-3′ direction; corresponding to the nucleotide at position 584 in     SEQ ID No. 2), ii) at least one nucleotide from the 3′ end of exon 1     in SEQ ID No. 12 (preferably the last nucleotide of exon 1 in SEQ ID     No. 12 in the 5′-3′ direction; corresponding to the nucleotide at     position 271 in SEQ ID No. 13), and at least one nucleotide from the     5′ end of exon 2 in SEQ ID No. 12 (preferably the first nucleotide     of exon 2 in SEQ ID No. 12 in the 5′-3′ direction; corresponding to     the nucleotide at position 272 in SEQ ID No. 13), iii) at least one     nucleotide from the 3′ end of exon 2 in SEQ ID No. 12 (preferably     the last nucleotide of exon 2 in SEQ ID No. 12 in the 5′-3′     direction; corresponding to a nucleotide at position 984 in SEQ ID     No. 13) and at least one nucleotide of exon 3 in SEQ ID No. 12 in     the 5′-3′ direction; corresponding to the nucleotide at position 985     in SEQ ID No. 13), or iv) at least one nucleotide from the 3′ end of     exon 1 in SEQ ID No. 9 (preferably the last nucleotide of exon 1 in     SEQ ID No. 9 in the 5′-3′ direction; corresponding to the nucleotide     at position 927 in SEQ ID No. 10), and at least one nucleotide from     the 5′ end of exon 2 in SEQ ID No. 9 (preferably the first     nucleotide of exon 2 in SEQ ID No. 9 in the 5′-3′ direction;     corresponding to the nucleotide at position 928 in SEQ ID No. 10).     In another preferred embodiment, the nucleotide sequence has at     least 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20, preferably at least 21, 22, 23, 24,     or 25, particularly preferably at least 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50, and     very particularly preferably at least 100, 200, 300, 500, or 1,000     consecutive nucleotides, which is capable of specific hybridization     on a nucleotide sequence as defined in [10] or [16]. -   [18] An oligonucleotide, preferably with a length of no more than 50     nucleotides, comprising a nucleic acid molecule according to     paragraph [17] or a nucleic acid molecule that is capable of     specific hybridization on a nucleotide sequence according to SEQ ID     No. 8, and/or preferably has one of the following nucleotide     sequences:     -   (i) SEQ ID Nos. 4, 6, or a complement thereof, or     -   (ii) SEQ ID Nos. 5, 7, or a complement thereof. -   [19] A vector, preferably a plant vector, comprising a DNA molecule,     or a nucleic acid molecule according to any of the paragraphs [13]     to [16], or a nucleic acid molecule according to paragraph [17]. -   [20] The vector according to paragraph [19], wherein the DNA     molecule, or nucleic acid molecule in the form of a transgene, is     capable of expressing a functional CYPgst and is preferably     genetically coupled to another transgene, which prevents transfer of     the DNA molecule or nucleic acid molecule via pollen, preferably     wherein the vector, or the transgene also has an expression cassette     that marks the seeds, preferably with a fluorescent marking. -   [21] A host cell, preferably a plant cell containing a recombinant     DNA molecule, or nucleic acid molecule according to any of the     paragraphs [13] to [16], or a vector according to paragraph [19] or     [20]. -   [22] A CYPgst protein encoded by a nucleotide sequence as defined in     paragraph [10], or a functional and/or immunologically active     fragment thereof. The CYPgst protein is preferably a) the amino acid     sequence selected from the group composed of SEQ ID No. 3, SEQ ID     No. 11, and SEQ ID Nos. 14-23, orb) an amino acid sequence that is     identical to the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID No. 3 for     at least 80%, 82%, 84%, 86%, or 88%, preferably at least 90%, 91%,     92%, 93%, 94%, or 95%, particularly preferably for at least 96%,     97%, 98%, 99% or 99.5%, preferably over the entire length thereof.     [23] An antibody that binds specifically to the CYPgst protein or     fragment according to paragraph [22]. -   [24] A kit comprising a DNA molecule or nucleic acid molecule     according to any of the paragraphs [13] to [16], a nucleic acid     according to paragraph [17], an oligonucleotide according to     paragraph [18], a vector according to paragraph [19] or [20], a     CYPgst protein or fragment thereof according to paragraph [22],     and/or an antibody according to paragraph [23], and potentially     reagents for nucleic acid based or immunological detection     processes. -   [25] A method for producing a plant, in particular a crop plant,     that displays a recessive, nucleus-encoded, homozygous male sterile     phenotype, characterized in that the expression of the CYPgst gene     is inhibited. -   [26] The method according to paragraph [25], characterized in that     the method comprises a step for introducing the recombinant DNA     molecule according to paragraph [15], the nucleic acid molecule     according to paragraph [16] or [17], or the vector according to     paragraph [19] or [20], e.g. by means of agrobacterium     transformation, T-DNA tagging, homologous recombination,     mutagenesis, such as TILLING, and targeted mutagenesis, e.g. through     the use of zinc finger nucleases, TALE (Transcription Activator-Like     Effector) nucleases, and the CRISPR/Cas system, resulting in     inhibition of the gene expression, e.g. through RNAi or     co-suppression or due to the mutation that has been introduced. -   [27] A method for restoration of the fertility of a plant according     to any of the paragraphs [1] to [12] or a plant that can be obtained     through a method according to paragraph [25] or [26], comprising the     introduction of a functional CYPgst gene into the plant. -   [28] The method according to paragraph [27], wherein the CYPgst gene     is introduced by means of a recombinant DNA according to paragraph     [13] or [14], or a vector according to paragraph [19] or [20], or     through crossbreeding a plant carrying the CYPgst wild type gene or     a functional CYPgst gene, preferably in the homozygous state.     Optionally, a selection for the presence of the CYPgst wild type     gene or the functional CYPgst gene can take place in following     generation. -   [29] A plant containing plant cells according to paragraph [21]     and/or that can be obtained through a method according to any of the     paragraphs [25] to [28]. -   [30] An organ, plant part, tissue or cell of the plant according to     any of the paragraphs [1] to [12] or [19]. -   [31] Seeds or descendants of the plant according to any of the     paragraphs [1] to [12] or [29], wherein the seeds or the descendants     that have a mutation defined in any of the paragraphs [1] to [12]     and/or a recombinant DNA molecule or nucleic acid molecule according     to any of the paragraphs [13] to [16] or a vector according to     paragraph [19] or [20]. -   [32] A method for identifying a plant according to any of the     paragraphs [1] to [12] or [29] by detecting a mutation in the CYPgst     gene, or a marker coupled to the mutation. -   [33] Use of a DNA molecule or nucleic acid molecule according to any     of the paragraphs [13] to [16], a nucleic acid molecule according to     paragraph [17], an oligonucleotide according to paragraph [18], a     vector according to paragraph [19] or [20], a CYPgst protein or     fragment thereof according to paragraph [22], an antibody according     to paragraph [23], and/or kits according to paragraph [24] for     producing a plant according to any of the paragraphs [1] to [12] or     [29], in production of a recessive, nucleus-encoded, male sterile     plant, in production of a plant with restored fertility, in     production of a hybrid plant, in resistance programs, or for seed     production. -   [34] Use of the DNA molecule according to paragraph [14] or the     promoter defined in paragraph [14] for specific expression of     heterologous nucleic acid molecules in flowers and/or fruit from     plants. -   [35] Use of a plant according to any of the paragraphs [1] to [12]     or [29], organ, plant part, tissue or cell according to paragraph     [30], seeds or descendants according to paragraph [31], or a plant     that can be identified according to the method according to     paragraph [32], or obtained through a use according to paragraph     [33] or [34], or the tissues, cells, descendants or seeds in the     production of food, active substances, medicinal products, or     precursors thereof, diagnostic products, cosmetics, fine chemicals,     sugar, syrup, bioethanol or biogas. -   [36] Food, feed or active substances contained in a plant according     to any of the paragraphs [1] to [12] or [29], organ, plant part,     tissue, or cell according to paragraph [30], seeds or descendants     according to paragraph [31], or a plant that is identified by the     method according to paragraph [32], or that can be obtained through     the use according to paragraph [33] or [34], or the tissues, cells,     descendants or seeds thereof. -   [37] Use of a plant according to any of the paragraphs [1] to [12]     or [29] for breeding or the production of a descendant plant,     wherein the nucleus-encoded male sterile phenotype is used for     recurrent selection.

First, some of the terms used in this application shall be explained in greater detail:

The expression “chromosome segment,” and variations of the term, such as “chromosomal segment” or “segment of chromosome,” are used equivalently, if not indicated otherwise, and refer to a specific chromosomal DNA segment of a specific chromosome, comprising at least one gene.

The “CYPgst gene” or the “wild type gene from CYPgst” encoded for the “CYPgst protein,” which plays a role in the formation of vital pollen, in that a mutation in CYPgst results in male sterile plants by suppressing the formation of functional pollen. This has been demonstrated experimentally in the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris). A similarity to the CYP703 gene from Arabidopsis thaliana could be established through homology comparisons, which fulfills an essential function according to the current prior art (Morant et al., The Plant Cell, 19 (2007), 1473-1487) in the synthesis of sporopollenin, and preferably catalyzes the conversion of medium chain saturated fatty acids into the corresponding simple hydroxylated fatty acids, with a preferred hydroxylation of lauric acid at the C-7 position. The elimination of the CYP703 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana results in a partial male sterility. The quantity of pollen was actually reduced, but functional pollen could still be produced. For this reason, the gene from Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris appears to assume another function, as an elimination thereof results in a male sterility of the plant. Without committing to a theory, it appears to be plausible that the CYPgst gene should be assigned to a different classification of the CYP gene, or in cultivated plants, in particular crop plants such as the sugar beet, has a different function or significance than in the lower model plant Arabidopsis thaliana; see the discussion in example 1. The person skilled in the art can derive other CYPgst proteins from data bases using appropriate search profiles and computer programs for screening for homologous sequences or sequence comparisons. A possible assessment of whether the identified gene fulfills the same function as the CYPgst gene in Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, can be assessed through restoring the function of CYPgst in a male sterile sugar beet plant through heterologous expression of the identified gene, i.e. through restoration of the fertility through the transgene.

Without committing to a specific theory, there is also the possibility that the CYPgst gene from Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris and the CYP703 gene from Arabidopsis thaliana belong to the same CYP family, and thus fulfill the same or at least a similar function in the synthesis of sporopollenin, but that in cultivated plants, which have been optimized over years of targeted selection and crossbreeding with regard to yield, pest resistance, tolerance of abiotic stress factors, etc., as well as the content of plant substances, the ability to compensate for the lack of sporopollenin is lost, and that therefore the absence of sporopollenin results in suppression of pollen formation, leaving the plant male sterile.

The term “gst locus” refers, according to the invention, to a genomic DNA in a plant, in particular a crop plant, in which a mutation correlates to a recessive inherited, nucleus-encoded male sterility, wherein the mutation comprises the cytochrome P450 oxidase (CYPgst) gene and results in the mutation being contained in the gst locus in a plant affected in this manner, and in particular with the mutation of homozygous plants, the content or the activity of a functional CYPgst protein is lower in comparison with a corresponding (male fertile) plant containing the wild type locus (wild type plant), or is entirely absent. Typically, transcription and/or translation of a functional CYPgst protein is prevented by the mutation in the CYPgst gene.

The term “closely flanking” is understood to mean that two loci (e.g. two marker (marker loci)) are separated from one another on a gene map by less than 15 cM, less than 12 cM, less than 10 cM, less than 8 cM, less than 7 cM, less than 6 cM, less than 5 cM, less than 4 cM, less than 3 cM, less than 2 cM, less than 1 cM, less than 0.5 cM, less than 0.2 cM, less than 0.1 cM, less than 0.05 cM.

The term “hybridizing” or “hybridization” refers to a process in which a single-strand nucleic acid molecule attaches to a complementary nucleic acid strand to the greatest possible extent, i.e. base pairs interact therewith. Standard methods for hybridization are described by way of example in Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning; A Laboratory Manual 3^(rd) ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 2001. It is preferably understood thereby that at least 60%, more preferably at least 65%, 70%, 75%, 80% or 85%, particularly preferably 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% of the bases of the nucleic acid molecule engage in a base pairing with the complementary nucleic acid strand to the greatest possible extent. The possibility of such an attachment depends on the stringency of hybridization conditions. The term “stringency” relates to the hybridization conditions. High stringency exists when a base pairing is hindered, and low stringency exists when a base pairing is facilitated. The stringency of the hybridization conditions depends on the salt concentration, or the ionic strength, for example, and temperature. In general, the stringency can be increased by increasing the temperature and/or lowering the salt content. “Stringent hybridization conditions” refer to those conditions in which hybridization predominantly takes place only between homologous nucleic acid molecules and homologous genes. The term “hybridization conditions” relates not only to the prevailing conditions during the actual attachment of the nucleic acids, but also to the conditions prevalent during the subsequent growth steps. Stringent hybridization conditions are conditions, for example, under which predominantly only those nucleic acid molecules hybridize that are identical to at least 70%, preferably at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90% or at least 95%. Stringent hybridization conditions are, e.g.: hybridization in 4×SSC at 65° C., and subsequent multiple washings in 0.1×SSC at 65° C. for at total of approx. 1 hour. The term “stringent hybridization conditions” used here can also mean: hybridization at 68° C. in 0.25 M sodium phosphate, pH 7.2, 7% SDS, 1 mM EDTA and 1% BSA for 16 hours and subsequent washing twice with 2×SSC and 0.1% SDS at 68° C. Hybridization preferably takes place under stringent conditions.

“Complementary” nucleotide sequence, in reference to a nucleic acid in the form of a double strand DNA, means that the first DNA strand is complementary to the second DNA strand with respect to the base pair regulation of the nucleotides that correspond to the bases of the first strand.

The term “(molecular) marker” is a nucleotide sequence used as a reference or orientation point. A marker for detecting a recombination should be suitable for monitoring differences or polymorphisms within a plant population. With markers, these differences occur at the DNA level, and comprise polynucleotide sequence differences, e.g. SSRs (simple sequence repeats), RFLPs (restriction fragment length polymorphisms), FLPs (fragment length polymorphisms) or SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). The markers can be derived from genomic or expressed nucleic acids, e.g. spliced RNA, cDNA or ESTs, and can also relate to nucleic acids that are used as probe or primer pairs, and as such are suitable for amplifying a sequence fragment using PCR-based methods. Markers relating to genetic polymorphisms between portions of a population can be detected by means of established methods from the prior art (An Introduction to Genetic Analysis, 7^(th) edition, Griffiths, Miller, Suzuki, et al., 2000). These include, e.g.: DNA sequencing, PCR-based, sequence specific amplification, detection of RFLPs, detection of polynucleotide polymorphisms by means of allele-specific hybridization (ASH), and detections of SSRs, SNPs or RFLPs. Moreover, methods for detecting ESTs (expressed sequence tags) and RAPD (randomly amplified polymorphic DNA) are also known. Depending on the context, the term “marker” can also mean a specific chromosome position in the genome of a species where a specific marker (e.g. SNP) can be located. Markers are also used in this invention for detecting deletions.

The term “crop plant” encompasses both uncultivated plants as well as cultivated plants. Plants are referred to as crop plants that are used in any form by humans, directly or indirectly; e.g. as food, stimulants, or medication, as well as wood supplies or as feed for livestock.

A “cultivated plant,” in contrast to wild plants, is a plant that is planted, cultivated and protected by humans, which can be used as a crop plant or decorative plant. The genetic basis for the existence of cultivated plants comprises point mutations, somatic mutations, chromosomal mutations and polyploidization. These mutations provide the basis for selection. They form the natural or artificially extended (increase in mutation rate, crossbreeding, treatment with colchicine, genetic engineering methods) starting material for human-controlled evolution. Cultivated plants include food plants, industrial plants (e.g. fiber plants) feed plants and decorative plants. The important features of these cultivated plants are an increase in the size of the plants, in particular the organs that are used, loss of bitter substances, pest resistance, and/or higher nutrient content.

“Operatively linked” means interconnected in a shared nucleic acid molecule, such that the interconnected elements are positioned and oriented in relation to one another in a manner allowing for transcription of the nucleic acid molecule to take place. A DNA that is operatively linked to a promoter is subject to the transcriptional control of this promoter.

A “plant” as set forth in the invention can be any of the dicotyledon or monocotyledon plant species. Plants in agriculture, horticulture or for generating bioenergy (bioethanol, biogas, etc.) are preferred. The plants used in the present invention are preferably distinguished by their storage organs comprising tubers, roots, seeds, grain, fruit, etc. These include, by way of example, Zea mays, Solanum tuberosum, Triticum aestivum, Triticum durum, Triticum spelta, Helianthus annuus, Secale cereal, Hordeum vulgare, Hordeum bulbosum, Brassica napus, Brassica oleracea, Brassica rapa, Brassica juncacea, Brassica nigra, Glycine max, Gossypium sp., Sorghum bicolor, Triticale, Saccharum officinarum, Setaria italica, Oryza sativa, Oryza minuta, Oryza australiensis, Oryza alta, Brachypodium distachyon, Hordeum marinum, Aegilops tauschii, Daucus glochidiatus, Daucus pusillus, Daucus muricatus, Daucus carota, Eucalyptus grandis, Erythranthe guttate, Genlisea aurea, Musa sp., Avena sp., Nicotiana sylvestris, Nicotiana tabacum, Nicotiana tomentosiformis, Solanum lycopersicum, Coffea canephora, Vitis vinifera, Cucumis sativus, Morus notabilis, Crucihimalaya himalaica, Crucihimalaya wallichii, Cardamine flexuosa, Lepidium virginicum, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Olimarabidopsis Arabis hirsute, Raphanus sativus, Eruca vesicaria sativa, Citrus sinensis, Jatropha curcas, Populus trichocarpa or Beta vulgaris. A plant according to the invention is preferably a plant of the genus Beta, in particular the species sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), as well as the subspecies, Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris.

Plant “organs” refer, by way of example, to leaves, plant stems, trunks, roots, vegetative buds, meristems, sprouts, anthers, ovum, seeds or fruit, in particular grains. The term “plant part” or “plant parts” includes but is not limited to, the plant stem, or stalk, leaves, flowers, fluorescence, roots, fruit and seeds, as well as pollen. Plant “parts” also refers to a combination of numerous organs, e.g. a flower or a seed, or a part of an organ, e.g. a cross section of the plant stem. Plant “tissues” are, for example, callus tissues, storage tissues, meristematic tissues, leaf tissues, sprout tissues, root tissues, plant center tissues, or reproductive tissues, as well as the meristem tissues, the base tissues (the so-called parenchyma), vascular tissues, consolidation tissues and covering tissues (the so-called epidermis). The tissues are not limited to those listed here. Plant “cells” are understood to be isolated cells with a cell wall, for example, or aggregates thereof, or protoplasts.

In the context of the present invention, the term “regulatory sequence” refers to a nucleotide sequence that affects the specificity and/or the expression strength, e.g. in that the regulatory sequence imparts a specific tissue specificity. Such a regulatory sequence can be located upstream of the transcription initiation point of a minimal promoter, but also downstream thereof, as is the case for example, in a transcribed but not translated leader sequence or inside an intron.

A “promoter” is a non-translated DNA segment, typically upstream of an encoded region that contains the binding site for the RNA polymerase, and initiates the DNA transcription. A promoter also contains other elements that function as regulators for the gene expression (e.g. cis-regulatory elements). A “nuclear or minimal promoter” is a promoter that contains at least the base elements needed for initiating the transcription (e.g. TATA box and/or initiator).

A “transgenic plant” is a plant in which genomes of at least one polynucleotide are integrated, preferably a heterologous polynucleotide. The polynucleotide is preferably integrated in a stable manner, i.e. the integrated polynucleotide remains stable in the plant, is expressed, and can also be inherited by the descendants in a stable manner. The stable introduction of a polynucleotide in the genome of a plant also includes the integration thereof in the genome of a plant from the preceding generation, wherein the polynucleotide can be stably passed on to later generations. The term “heterologous” means that the introduced polynucleotide comes, by way of example, from a cell or an organism with a different genetic background in the same species or some other species, or is homologous to the prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell, but is then located in a different genetic environment, and thus differs from a potentially naturally occurring corresponding polynucleotide. A heterologous polynucleotide can also exist in addition to a corresponding endogenic gene.

Designs and embodiments of the present invention shall be described below by way of example with reference to the attached drawings and sequences:

FIG. 1: A, C) flowers from fertile sugar beets (Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris) and B, D) flowers from male sterile sugar beets, the phenotypes of which can be traced back to Donor C311 [2043_K5]. A, B) are closed flowers, the sepals and petals of which have been removed manually. The light (yellow), vital anthers of the fertile genotype (A) can be clearly seen. In contrast, the anthers of the sterile genotypes are clearly dark (brown). The anthers of fertile genotypes open during the flowering stage and release pollen (C), while the anthers of the sterile genotypes do not continue to develop and contain no pollen.

FIG. 2: The gene model annotated in RefBeet 1.2, type BvCYPgst (g6845.t1) in the reference genotype KWS2320. The protein, with a length of 517 amino acids is encoded by exons with a total length of 1554 bp. Genotypes expressed in a male sterile phenotype display a deletion of 533 bp, the portion comprising the 5′ UTR and the first exon of the gene. A correct transcription of the mRNA and translation of a functional protein is thus impossible.

FIG. 3: Alignment of a 4721 bp genomic DNA fragment that encodes the sugar beet gene model of BvCYPgst (g6845.t1), from sterile and fertile genotypes. The sequence of the sterile genotypes has a 533 bp deletion.

FIG. 4: A sequence analysis of the 4721 bp genomic DNA fragment that encodes the sugar beet gene BvCYPgst (g6845.t1), from sterile and fertile genotypes. A) shows the genomic DNA sequence of the CYPgst gene in Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, including the putative promoter region, as well as 5′UTR and 3′UTR. The putative promoter region is depicted in “bold,” the 5′UTR and 3′UTR are underlined, exon 1 is in “bold” and underlined, exon 2 is in italics and underlined, and the intron is in italics. This sequence corresponds to the sequence in SEQ ID No. 1. The functional regions of the gene are located as follows: putative promoter 1..518; 5′UTR 1519..1761; transcribed region 1519..4275; exon 1762..2679; intron 2680..3506; exon 3507..4142; 3′UTR 4143..4275. B) shows the cDNA sequence of the CYPgst gene in Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, including the 5′UTR and 3′UTR. The 5′UTR and the 3′UTR are underlined, exon 1 is in “bold” and underlined, and exon 2 is in italics and underlined. This sequence corresponds to the sequence in SEQ ID No. 2. The functional regions of the cDNA are located as follows: 5′UTR 1..243; exon 244..1161; exon 1162..1787; 3′UTR 1798..1930. C) shows the amino acid sequence of the CYPgst gene in Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris. This sequence corresponds to the sequence in SEQ ID No. 3. D) shows the genomic DNA sequence of the mutated CYPgst gene in Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, including the putative promoter region and 3′UTR. The putative promoter region is in “bold,” the 3′UTR is underlined, the truncated exon 1 is in “bold” and underlined, exon 2 is in italics and underlined, and the intron is in italics. This sequence corresponds to the sequence in SEQ ID No. 8. The functional regions of the mutated CYPgst gene are located as follows: putative promoter 1..1353; transcribed region 1354..3542; truncated exon 1354..1938; intron 1939..2755; exon 2756..3394; 3′UTR 3395..3542.

FIG. 5: An expression analysis of the gene BvCYPgst (GST, g6845.t1) by means of qRT-PCR. RNA is obtained from various tissues of fertile plants and the expression of the GST gene is depicted in comparison with the expression of the gene g4645.t1, where n.d. means no expression was detected. GST was most strongly expressed in the experiment shown here in closed flowers. In comparison, no expression of the GST gene could be detected in closed flowers of the sterile genotypes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention produces a plant through mutation in a DNA segment of the nuclear genome that comprises a cytochrome P450 oxidase (CYPgst) gene exhibiting a nucleus-encoded male sterile phenotype. This is distinguished in that the mutation is obtained through a recessive trait expression, and the plant can thus be used to simplify labor intensive breeding programs. The identification of the gene responsible for this trait expression occurs in the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris), as explained in Examples 1 and 2 and FIGS. 1 to 5. The relevant gene is classified as a member of the cytochrome P450 oxidases (CYP) due to its structural features determined by sequence analysis, and provided with the suffix “gst” representative of the phenotype observed in its mutants for the nucleus-genetic male sterility. Because the gene in sugar beets is identified, the prefix “By” is also used when concrete reference is made to the gene described in the examples.

In general, the present invention relates to a plant, in particular a cultivated or crop plant that displays a recessive, nucleus-encoded male sterile phenotype, characterized in that the phenotype correlates with a mutation comprised in the endogenic cytochrome P450 oxidase (CYPgst) gene, or with the absence, or lower content or activity of a functional CYPgst protein in comparison with a corresponding (male fertile) wild type plant, which is encoded by the CYPgst wild type gene, characterized in that the non-mutated CYPgst gene is the gene BvCYPgst in Beta vulgaris, which comprises one of the nucleotide sequences in SEQ ID No. 1 or 2, or encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 3, or a homolog, analog, or ortholog thereof. As described above, and explained in the examples, other CYPgst proteins, or the encoding genes thereof, i.e. homologs, analogs, and orthologs can be identified in plants through classic bioinformatics approaches (data base searches and computer programs for screening for homologous sequences), wherein it can be assumed that a mutation of the same phenotype is triggered, as has been observed in sugar beets. A plant in the present invention is thus also characterized in that the non-mutated CYPgst gene is the gene StCYPgst in Solanum tuberosum, which preferably comprises a nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID No. 12 or 13, or encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 14, or a homolog, analog, or ortholog thereof; or that the non-mutated CYPgst gene is the gene ZmCYPgst in Zea mays, which preferably comprises the nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID No. 9 or 10, or encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 11, or a homolog, analog, or ortholog thereof.

The term “homolog(s)” therein means that the relevant genes (from two different types of plants) substantially have the same function and a common ancestor, and that their nucleic acids or encoded amino acid sequences are substantially identical. There are many genes, however, that are homologous to one another, without the protein sequences resulting in a useful pairing alignment. In contrast thereto, the term “analogous” genes or proteins (likewise) indicates that they have identical or similar functions, but are not obtained from the same structure, i.e. they do not have a common ancestor. In this case, their nucleic acids or encoded amino acid sequences are often not significantly identical, or at best, are only only in certain functional domains.

In the context of genome sequencing for annotation, “homolog” is more specifically defined. The terms “ortholog” and “paralog” are included therein. Orthologs are genes that bind via speciation. Paralogs are genes that bind via duplication.

A gene is fundamentally a homolog, analog, or ortholog as set forth in the present invention when it is capable of complementing the male sterile phenotype as it occurs in the reference gene CYPgst in sugar beets (BvCYPgst), and/or a targeted mutation is triggered in the relevant gene, or changes occur in the biological activity of the genetic products of a male sterile phenotype in the plant encoded by the homolog or analog from which the gene was obtained. Accordingly, the relevant homolog or analog to the CYPgst gene of the present invention illustrated in the example can preferably characterized in that it is capable of complementing the male sterile phenotype observed in the CYPgst mutants of the sugar beet, i.e. it can restore the fertile phenotype. Additionally or alternatively, the CYPgst homolog or analog can preferably be characterized in that a male sterile phenotype is obtained through inhibition of the expression thereof or the biological activity of the genetic product encoded by the homolog or analog. The male sterile phenotype preferably has the properties described by way of example for the CYPgst mutants in sugar beets, in particular those properties described in the examples; see the embodiments described above.

Corresponding techniques and methods for complementary genetics are known to the person skilled in the art from the prior art; see e.g. Napoli et al., Plant Physiology 120 (1999), 615-622, which describes a mutation in inbred strains of petunias, which also have a male sterile phenotype that can be eliminated through transgenic complementation with a functional chalcone synthase A cDNA, such that it could be determined that the chalcone synthase gene A is substantially responsible for the male sterile phenotype, or the phenotype for male sterility is caused through a mutation in this gene.

In Jeong et al., J. Exp. Bot. 65 (2014), 6693-6709, the male sterility in so-called ms10³⁵ tomato mutants is complemented and eliminated through complementation and by means of transgenic expression of various candidate genes. Methods for producing male sterility in transgenic plants through inhibition of a target gene, in this case CYPgst, are likewise known to the person skilled in the art; see e.g., international patent application WO 1996/017945 and the following embodiments.

Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, a plant displaying a recessive, nucleus-encoded, male sterile phenotype is characterized in that the phenotype is caused by a mutation comprising the endogenic cytochrome P450 oxidase (CYPgst) gene. The plant according to the invention can also be characterized, however, by the absence, or low content in comparison with a corresponding male fertile wild type plant, or activity of a functional CYPgst protein encoded by the wild type gene from CYPgst. A genomic sequence of the mutated gene, which can no longer be translated, is shown in SEQ ID No. 8, but is only intended as an example, not limiting to the invention in this regard. In particular, the invention relates to a plant belonging to the cultivated and crop plants.

A deactivation of the CYP703 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana (CYP703A2) to obtain a reduced pollen formation and thus resulting in partial male sterility is described in the prior art (Morant et al., The Plant Cell, 19 (2007), 1473-1487). This can be attributed to the fact that the sporopollenin, forming the main component of the exposed layer of pollen, is absent or structurally altered. Although it seems plausible that the CYPgst gene assumes another function, because a mutation results in nucleus-encoded, recessive, male sterility, and pollen is not formed, the possibility that the CYPgst gene and the CYP703 gene from Arabidopsis thaliana belong to the same gene family and thus fulfill the same or at least similar function in the synthesis of sporopollenin should not be dismissed. Without committing to a specific theory, it seems plausible that the ability to compensate for the lack of sporopollenin has been lost in cultivated plants, which have been optimized over years of targeted selection and crossbreeding with regard to yield, pest resistance, tolerance of abiotic stress factors, and the content of plant substances, and that the absence of sporopollenin results in suppression of pollen formation, such that the plant is male sterile.

Because it is explained in Morant et al. (2007) that the CYP703A2 gene, or corresponding knockout lines of Arabidopsis, only exhibit partial male sterility, and such a phenotype is not suitable for hybridization, the CYP703A2 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana, or the mutants described in Morant et al., particularly those with the sequences shown in FIG. 1, are excluded from the present invention in one embodiment. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment of the plants of the present invention, cultivated and/or crop plants of the type Arabidopsis thaliana are preferably excluded.

Plants have two or more copies of their genetic information in each cell in the form of eukaryotes. Each gene is normally represented by two alleles, which may be identical in the homozygous state, or different in the heterozygous state. The phenotype of the plant according to the invention is caused by a mutation in the nuclear genome, and this is obtained through a recessive trait expression. Accordingly, the plant is male fertile in one embodiment of the invention, when the mutation is heterozygous, and male sterile when the mutation is homozygous.

The formation of functional pollen is suppressed, preferably fully suppressed, in a sterile plant, wherein in conjunction with the present invention, the term “suppressed” means that in a plant that is homozygous for the mutation of the CYPgst gene and is male sterile, 95%, preferably 96%, more preferably 97%, particularly preferably 98%, and particularly preferably 99% of pollen formation does not take place, while “fully suppressed” means that more than 99%, preferably 100% of pollen formation is suppressed. In this context, “suppressed” preferably means that in a crossbreeding experiments with such a plant serving as the male parent and a corresponding wild type plant, substantially no seed production takes place and/or no descendants are generated.

In the case of Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, this is clear in FIG. 1. The light (yellow) vital anthers of the fertile genotype (A) can be seen in closed flowers that have had the sepals and petals manually removed. In contrast thereto, the anthers of the sterile genotypes are clearly dark (brown) (B). When flowering, the anthers of the fertile genotypes open and release pollen (C), while the anthers in sterile genotypes fail to mature, and do not release pollen (D).

In Arabidopsis thaliana, the CYP703 protein catalyzes the conversion of medium chain saturated fatty acids into the corresponding simple hydroxylated fatty acids, with a preferred hydroxylation of lauric acid at the C7 position. Without committing to a specific theory, it seems plausible that the CYPgst protein does not fulfill the same function as the CYP703 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana, but a similar one, because a deactivation of both genes has an effect on the pollen formation. Thus, a function in the synthesis of sporopollenin, the main component of the exposed layer vital pollen, can be attributed to CYPgst.

In one embodiment, the CYPgst protein therefore plays a role in the synthesis of the sporopollenin, and catalyzes the conversion of medium chain saturated fatty acids to form corresponding simple hydroxylated fatty acids, preferably with hydroxylation of lauric acid at the C7 position.

Transcription analysis (Example 2) in fertile genotypes of Beta vulgaris subspecies vulgaris shows that the CYPgst gene is expressed in closed flowers and fruit, and no expression is detected in roots and leaves (FIG. 5). Accordingly, one embodiment of the plant according to the invention is a plant described above, wherein the CYPgst gene is expressed at least in closed flowers and fruit, preferably specifically in closed flowers and fruit.

In one embodiment, the mutation prevents transcription and/or translation of a functional protein in the plant according to the invention, wherein the mutation is preferably a deletion, addition, insertion or substitution in the encoding nucleotide sequence of the CYPgst gene, a splicing signal, or a regulatory sequence, preferably the promoter sequence, of the CYPgst gene.

In a preferred embodiment, the deletion is a deletion of at least 500-600 bp, relating to the encoding region or the promoter region of the CYPgst gene. The deletion can also have a length of at least 20, 30, or 50 consecutive base pairs, at least 100, 150, 200, or 250 consecutive base pairs, or preferably at least 300, 400, or 500 consecutive base pairs. The addition is preferably an insertion of a nucleotide or numerous nucleotides in the genome sequence, preferably in the encoding gene sequence resulting in a reading frame shift. The substitution is preferably a point mutation in the genome sequence, preferably in the encoding sequence, that generates stop codons or splicing errors.

Through a comparative sequencing of genomic DNA fragments, comprising the CYPgst gene and the putative promoter region from both male sterile and male fertile Beta vulgaris subspecies vulgaris plants, it has been demonstrated that a deletion of 533 bp is responsible for the male sterile phenotype (see Example 2 and FIG. 3) and that the deletion lies between the nucleotide positions 1560 and 2095 in SEQ ID No. 1.

In another preferred embodiment, this is a deletion of 533 bp, comprising parts of the 5′UTR and the first exon of the CYPgst gene in Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris; see FIG. 3. The functional gene BvCYPgst comprises two exons with a total length of 1554 bp. A gene model annotated in RefBeet 1.2 is shown in FIG. 2, and the genomic DNA sequence of CYPgst with the deletion resulting in a truncated exon 1 is given in SEQ ID No. 8. Possible point mutations that can result in a premature transcription interruption of the CYPgst gene in Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, or could cause a disrupted splicing, are listed in Table 1, wherein these preferably lie between the nucleotide positions 1560 and 2095 of SEQ ID No. 1.

As is shown in Example 1 of the present invention, closely flanking markers in the CYPgst gene could be identified through fine mapping, thus providing the position of the CYPgst gene in the genome of Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris. This in turn provides the basis for developing male markers with which the deletion in the CYPgst gene could be detected.

Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention, the plant is characterized in that the deletion in sugar beets (Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris) can be detected through the absence of one or both marker loci sle5983d14 (amplification product of the primer with SEQ ID Nos. 4 and 5) and sle5983d17 (amplification product of the primer with SEQ ID Nos. 6 and 7) and through the presence of a ubiquitous marker. The ubiquitous marker confirms the satisfactory quality of the DNA extraction.

Moreover, in another embodiment, the gene from Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris (sugar beet) is located in a segment on chromosome 1 between marker loci sxn2151s01 and sle3305s02. In a preferred embodiment, these marker loci are at 33.42 or 35.15 cM on chromosome 1 (based on the genetic map ZR INT 1202) and based on the physical genome map (Physmapv2), this region has a physical size of 215.4 kbp, and lies between positions 3185718 bp and 3401120 bp. KASP markers (KASP™, SNP genotyping chemical from LGC Limited) have been developed, with which the SNP or the corresponding reference sequence that is to be detected can be identified. The sxn2151s01 marker sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 24 and the sle3305s02 marker sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 26 indicate the presence of the gst locus; the sxn2151s01 marker sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 25 and the sle3305s02 marker sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 27 indicate the reference sequence, wherein the marker sequences each differ at nucleotide position 21, and there is a “G” at this position in the genotype carrying the gst locus, and there is an “A” at this position in the reference genotype KWS2320.

In a preferred embodiment, the segment is approx. 50 to 5,000 kbp, preferably 100 to 1,000 kbp, more preferably 100 to 500 kbp, and particularly preferably 200 to 250 kbp. Wherein the segment has other protein encoding genes, preferably 21 genes.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the non-mutated gene is the functional gene BvCYPgst from Beta vulgaris, preferably Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, or a functional homologous, analogous, or orthologous gene of another crop plant or cultivated plant.

The person skilled in the art can derive other CYPgst proteins from the relevant literature, as well as data bases, using appropriate search profiles and computer programs to screen for homologous sequences, or for sequence comparisons. Moreover, the person skilled in the art can discover other CYPgst protein encoding DNA sequences using conventional molecular biology techniques, and make use thereof in the framework of the present invention. Appropriate hybridization probes, for example, can thus be derived from the sequence of the CYPgst gene, and used for screening genomic and/or cDNA data bases for the desired organism. The person skilled in the art can reference conventional hybridization, cloning and sequencing methods, listed by way of example in Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning; A Laboratory Manual, 3^(rd) ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 2001. The person skilled in the art can also synthesize and use oligonucleotide primers for amplifying CYPgst sequences based on known sequences.

In particular, the homologous, analogous, or orthologous gene in a preferred embodiment is a gene from Zea mays, preferably comprising a nucleotide sequence displayed in SEQ ID No. 9 or 10, or encoding the amino acid sequence from Solanum tuberosum displayed in SEQ ID no. 11, which preferably comprises one of the nucleotide sequences in SEQ ID No. 12 or 13, or encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 14, from Triticum aestivum, which preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 15, from Helianthus annuus, which preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 16, from Hordeum vulgare, which preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 17, from Brassica napus, which preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 18, from Brassica oleracea, which preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 19, from Brassica rapa, which preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 20, from Glycine max, which preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 21, from Gossypium, which preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 22, and from Sorghum bicolor, which preferably encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 23. The specified plants can be classified as crop plants, and preferably as cultivated plants.

One embodiment of the plant according to the invention is a plant described above wherein the non-mutated gene (wild type gene) has a nucleotide sequence selected from the group comprising a nucleotide sequence contained in the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID Nos. 1, 2, 9, 10, 12, and 13.

In one embodiment, the non-mutated gene (wild type gene) has a nucleotide sequence that encodes the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID Nos. 3, 11, or 14.

The nucleotide sequence can be introduced into the gene using conventional methods known in the prior art, e.g. through site-directed mutagenesis, PCR induced mutagenesis, transposon mutagenesis, genome editing, etc., substitutions, deletions, insertions, additions and/or any other modification, either alone or in combinations thereof, which modify the nucleotide sequence but still fulfill the same function as the starting sequence.

Moreover, the invention also comprises a plant described above, wherein the nucleotide sequence can also include a functional fragment of the nucleotide sequences in SEQ ID Nos. 1, 2, 9, 10, 12 and 13. The term “fragment” comprises genes with a nucleotide sequence that is sufficiently similar to the aforementioned nucleotide sequence. The term “sufficiently similar” means a first nucleotide sequence or amino acid sequence that has a sufficient or minimum number of identical or equivalent nucleotides or amino acid residues with respect to a second nucleotide or a second amino acid sequence. Regarding the amino acid sequence, these also have a common structural domain after modification with one of the aforementioned methods, and/or they have a common functional activity. Nucleotide sequences or amino acid sequences that are at least approx. 45%, at least approx. 50%, at least approx. 55%, at least approx. 60%, at least approx. 65%, at least approx. 70%, at least approx. 75%, at least approx. 80%, at least approx. 85%, at least approx. 90%, at least approx. 95%, at least approx. 96%, at least approx. 97%, at least approx. 98%, at least approx. 99%, or at least approx. 100% identical, are defined here as sufficiently similar. A sufficient similarity is preferably established in the functional fragments when the nucleotide sequence or amino acid sequence has the same general property as the aforementioned nucleotide or amino acid sequences of the present invention.

Accordingly, the non-mutated gene (wild type gene) comprised in the plant has a nucleotide sequence in one embodiment that is able to hybridize, under stringent conditions, a nucleotide sequence that is complementary to a nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID No. 1, 2, 9, 10, 12, or 13, or to a nucleotide sequence that encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 3, 11, or 14. Moreover, another embodiment comprises the non-mutated gene (wild type gene) comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes an amino acid sequence that has deviations with respect to the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 3, 11, or 14 in the form of amino acid deletions, substitutions, additions, and/or insertions in the amino acid sequence, preferably over no more than 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2% or 1% of the entire amino acid sequence.

In another or additional embodiment, the nucleotide sequence of the non-mutate gene (wild type gene) encodes a protein with the same enzymatic activity as the protein that is encoded by the DNA of the previous embodiment.

In another embodiment, the non-mutated gene (wild type gene) comprised in the plant has a DNA that comprises at least 200 or 400, preferably at least 600 or 800, particularly preferably at least 1,000 consecutive nucleotides from the promoter of the nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID No. 1, from the nucleotide positions 1 to 1518, preferably from the nucleotide positions 518 to 1518, particularly preferably from the nucleotide positions 1318 to 1518, or a sequence that is hybrid at this region, wherein the nucleotide sequence is able to control expression of the gene or a heterologous nucleic acid molecule that is operatively linked to the DNA, specifically in closed flowers and/or fruit.

In one embodiment, the plant can be an inbred plant or a hybrid plant. The inbred plant can be used as a parent plant for producing hydrides. The advantage of using a recessive, nucleus-encoded male sterile heterozygous inbred plant for the trait is that it divides into fertile and sterile individuals in each reproductive step. The male sterile individual can be used for producing hybrids, whereby there is no manual removal of the anthers, and it is no longer necessary to also maintain a sterile maintainer line.

In one embodiment, the plant according to the invention is a plant of the genus Zea, Solanum, Triticum, Triticale, Helianthus, Secale, Hordeum, Brassica, Brachypodium, Glycine, Gossypium, Sorghum, Saccharum, Setaria, Aegilops, Oryza, Daucus, Eucalyptus, Erythranthe, Genlisea, Musa, Avena, Nicotiana, Coffea, Vitis, Cucumis, Morus, Crucihimalaya, Cardamine, Lepidium, Capsella, Olimarabidopsis, Arabis, Raphanus, Eruca, Citrus, Jatropha, Populus, or Beta, preferably a plant of the type Zea mays, Solanum tuberosum, Triticum aestivum, Triticum durum, Triticum spelta, Helianthus annuus, Secale cereal, Hordeum vulgare, Hordeum bulbosum, Brassica napus, Brassica oleracea, Brassica rapa, Brassica juncacea, Brassica nigra, Glycine max, Gossypium sp., Sorghum bicolor, Triticale, Saccharum officinarum, Setaria italica, Oryza sativa, Oryza minuta, Oryza australiensis, Oryza alta, Brachypodium distachyon, Hordeum marinum, Aegilops tauschii, Daucus glochidiatus, Daucus pusillus, Daucus muricatus, Daucus carota, Eucalyptus grandis, Erythranthe guttate, Genlisea aurea, Musa sp., Avena sp., Nicotiana sylvestris, Nicotiana tabacum, Nicotiana tomentosiformis, Solanum lycopersicum, Coffea canephora, Vitis vinifera, Cucumis sativus, Morus notabilis, Crucihimalaya himalaica, Crucihimalaya wallichii, Cardamine flexuosa, Lepidium virginicum, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Olimarabidopsis pumila, Arabis hirsute, Raphanus sativus, Eruca vesicaria sativa, Citrus sinensis, Jatropha curcas, Populus trichocarpa or Beta vulgaris. These plants belong to crop plants, in particular cultivated plants.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises not only the plant according to the invention that has a mutation in the CYPgst gene, but also a DNA molecule that has a nucleotide sequence as defined above, with a mutation in the form of a deletion, addition, insertion, or substitution, wherein this mutation results in no synthesis of functional CYPgst protein.

In a preferred embodiment, the mutation in the encoding nucleotide sequence of the CYPgst gene is a splicing signal or a regulatory sequence of the CYPgst gene, preferably located in the promoter of the CYPgst gene. The mutation can be a deletion between the nucleotide positions 1560 and 2095 of SEQ ID No. 1 or corresponding positions in SEQ ID Nos. 12 or 9. The deletion can have a length of at least 20, 30 or 50 consecutive base pairs, preferably at least 100, 150, 200 or 250 consecutive base pairs, and particularly preferably at least 300, 400, or 500 consecutive base pairs. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence according to that in SEQ ID No. 8. In another preferred embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule has a point mutation in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID No. 1 according to Table 1, preferably between the nucleotide positions 1560 and 2095 of SEQ ID No. 1.

As explained above, DNA hybridization probes derived from the sequence of the CYPgst gene can be used for screening genomic and/or cDNA data bases of other organisms, to identify homologous genes. In order to obtain a specific hybridization, such probes should be specific, and have a length of at least 15 nucleotides, preferably at least 20 nucleotides. The probes can be used for amplifying the identified homologous genes through the known process of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Moreover, these probes can also be used for detecting mutations in the CYPgst gene. Comprehensive instructions for the hybridization of nucleic acids can be found in Tijssen, Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology—Hybridization with Nucleic Acid Probes, Part 1, Chapter 2, “Overview of Principles of Hybridization and the Strategy of Nucleic Acid Probe Assays,” Elsevier, New York (1993); and in Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Chapter 2, Ausubel et al., eds., Greene Publishing and Wiley Interscience, New York (1995).

Therefore, a nucleic acid molecule of at least 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20, preferably at least 21, 22, 23, 24, or 25, particularly preferably at least 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50, and very particularly preferably at least 100, 200, 300, 500, or 1,000 nucleotides is the subject matter of the present invention, wherein this nucleic acid molecule is specifically hybridized on a nucleotide sequence described above, comprising the non-mutated CYP703 wild type gene, or on a DNA molecule described above, with a mutation in the form of a deletion, addition, insertion, or substitution, resulting in no functional CYP703 protein being formed. The nucleic acid molecule preferably has the embodiment described in paragraph [17].

The position of the CYPgst gene in the genome of Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, can be determined with the fine mapping described above. This in turn provides the basis for developing genetic markers with which the deletion in the CYPgst gene can be detected.

The present invention therefore also relates to markers in the form of oligonucleotides, in particular primer oligonucleotides, in addition to the plants described above. These comprise a nucleic acid molecule of at least 15 nucleotides, hybridized specifically on nucleotide sequence as defined above, or on a DNA molecule defined above, with a mutation in the form of a deletion, addition, insertion, or substitution, resulting in no functional CYPgst protein being formed. These oligonucleotides preferably have a length of no more than 50 nucleotides. More preferably, the oligonucleotides are even shorter, and have a length of 15 to 25 nucleotides. As Example 2 of the present invention shows, the oligonucleotides preferably have one of the following nucleotide sequences: (i) SEQ ID No. 4, 6 or a complement thereof, or (ii) SEQ ID No. 5, 7, or a complement thereof.

The subject matter of the present invention also comprises a CYPgst protein that can be encoded by a nucleotide sequence described above and a functional and/or immunologically active fragment thereof, and an antibody that binds specifically to the CYPgst protein on the fragment thereof described herein. The recombinant production of proteins and fragments is known to the person skilled in the art and described, by way of example, in Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning; A Laboratory Manual, 3^(rd) ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 2001, or Wingfield, P. T. 2008, Production of Recombinant Proteins, Current Protocols in Protein Science, 52:5.0:a5.0.1-5.0.5. Polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies of the protein in the present invention can be produced by the person skilled in the art according to known methods, such as those described in E. Harlow et al., Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual (1988). The production of monoclonal antibodies and Fab and F(ab′)₂ fragments, which can also be used in protein detection methods, can be carried out with various conventional methods, such as those described in Goding, Monoclonal Antibodies: Principles and Practice, pp. 98-118, New York; Academic Press (1983). The antibody can then be used for the screening of expression cDNA libraries to identify identical, homologous, or heterologous genes by means of immunological screening (Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning; A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1989, or Ausubel et al., 1994, “Current Protocols in Molecular Biology,” John Wiley & Sons).

In a preferred embodiment, the CYPgst protein relates to the amino acid sequences in SEQ ID Nos. 3, 11, or 14 to 23, or an amino acid sequence that is identical at least to 80%, 82%, 84%, 86%, or 88%, preferably to 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, or 95%, particularly preferably to 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or 99.5%, preferably over the entire length of the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 3.

The invention also relates to a recombinant DNA molecule comprising the non-mutated CYPgst gene (wild type gene), and has the aforementioned properties of the nucleotide sequence comprised in the plant according to the invention. The recombinant DNA molecule preferably has a promoter and/or other transcription or translation control element, or is associated therewith. The promoters that are used are mainly cell-specific promoters, which only allow the transcription of DNA in predetermined cells. In addition to the promoters, there are many other transcription control elements, e.g. enhancers, operators, repressors, and transcription termination signals, but not limited thereto, which are functionally attached to the DNA for enabling a targeted, cell-specific transcription. Promoters and other transcription regulation elements are known in general and available to the person skilled in the art; see, e.g., WO 00/75359, p. 23, line 5 to p. 24, line 17. This recombinant DNA molecule can be used to restore fertility in plants with a nucleus-encoded, recessive, male sterile phenotype.

Because, as explained above, the CYPgst gene is expressed in closed flowers and fruit, and not in roots or leaves, the recombinant DNA molecule in a preferred embodiment comprises either a promoter, which has a nucleotide sequence described above and is operatively linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence, or an encoding nucleotide sequence, as defined above, which comprises the wild type CYPgst gene and is operatively linked to a heterologous promoter. This promoter is preferably able to control the expression of the nucleotide sequence, specifically in closed flowers and/or fruit. The recombinant DNA molecule more preferably comprises the native promoter of the non-mutated CYPgst gene from Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris (SEQ ID No. 1).

Accordingly, the present invention also comprises the use of the DNA molecule described herein, or the promoter for specific expression of heterologous nucleic acid molecules in plant flowers and/or fruit. This requires an operative linking of the heterologous nucleic acid molecule to the corresponding promoter, and the introduction of this recombinant DNA molecule in the target cell, preferably a plant cell. Methods for heterologous expression of recombinant DNA molecules shall be explained in greater detail below.

Another subject matter of the present invention comprises a recombinant DNA molecule with a nucleotide sequence according to the invention, which encodes an shRNA (small hairpin RNA), siRNA (small interfacing RNA), negative sense RNA, positive sense RNA or double-strand RNA. These convey inhibition of the translation of the CYPgst mRNA or the breakdown of the CYPgst mRNA in the cell through base pairs. Accordingly, the introduction and/or expression of the recombinant DNA molecule in a plant results in inhibition of the expression of the functional (non-mutated) CYPgst gene. In a preferred embodiment, the nucleotide sequence exhibits properties that are described in detail in paragraph [15].

A further subject matter of the invention comprises vectors, which comprise recombinant DNA molecules or nucleic acid sequences or nucleic acid molecules of the present invention. A vector according to the invention can contain the non-mutated CYPgst gene (wild type gene) with the aforementioned properties of the nucleotide sequence and preferably one of the promoters described above. Another vector can contain a recombinant DNA molecule, which comprises the non-mutated CYPgst wild type gene that is linked to a heterologous nucleic acid molecule, or can contain a recombinant DNA molecule that comprises a nucleotide sequence described above, which is operatively linked to a heterologous promoter, wherein in each case, the promoter is preferably able to specifically control the expression of the nucleotide sequence in closed flowers and/or fruit. Moreover, a vector can contain a recombinant DNA molecule that has a nucleotide sequence, which encodes for an shRNA, siRNA, negative sense RNA, positive sense RNA, or double-strand RNA, and thus results in inhibition of the expression of the CYPgst gene after expression in a plant cell.

Furthermore, a vector can contain a DNA molecule with one of the mutations described above, or it can contain the nucleic acid molecule described above, which binds specifically to the non-mutated (wild type) CYPgst nucleotide sequence or to the mutated CYPgst nucleotide sequence.

The described vector can be a plasmid, cosmid, phage or expression vector, a transformation vector, shuttle vector, or cloning vector, and it can be double or single stranded, linear or circular, or it can transform a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host, either through integration in the genome thereof or extrachromosomally. The DNA molecule or nucleic acid molecule according to the invention is operatively linked to one or more regulatory sequences in an expression vector, which permit transcription, and optionally, expression in a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell; see, e.g., Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 3^(rd) ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 2001, and the international patent application WO 00/75359, p. 21, line 20 to page 22, line 32. These regulatory sequences are preferably promoters or terminators, in particular for a transcription initiation starting point, a ribosome binding site, an RNA processing signal, a transcription termination site, and/or a polyadenylation signal. The vectors normally also contain indicator/reporter genes or resistance genes for detecting the transfer of the desired vector, or DNA molecules/nucleic acid molecules, and for selecting the individuals that contain these, because direct detection via the expression of the gene is usually rather difficult. Examples of indicator/reporter genes are, e.g., the luciferase gene and the gene that encodes for green fluorescent protein (GFP). These also permit testing for the activity and/or regulation of a promoter for the gene. Examples of resistance genes, specifically for plant transformations, are the neomycin phosphotransferase gene, the hygromycin phosphotransferase gene, or the gene that encodes for phosphinothricin acetyltransferase. These do not exclude other indicator/reporter genes or resistance genes known to the person skilled in the art. In a preferred embodiment, the vector is a plant vector.

A further subject matter of the invention is a vector described above, wherein the DNA molecule as a transgene is able to express a functional CYPgst gene, and is preferably genetically coupled to another transgene, which prevents transfer of the DNA molecule via pollen. The fertility can be restored by introducing this vector in a mutant that is male sterile through a mutation in the CYPgst gene. Because transfer of the transgenic functional CYPgst via pollen is prevented, only hemizygous seeds are obtained with the self-pollination of the transgenic line.

The vector, or the transgene, respectively, preferably also has an expression cassette, which marks the seeds, preferably using fluorescent marking. It is possible to easily differentiate transgenic seeds from non-transgenic seeds with this method. This system for using nucleus-encoded, male sterility was developed by the company Pioneer. The system with the name SEED PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY (SPT) (US 2006288440 A1) was developed for corn, and is based on the fact that a sterile mutant that has a mutation in a known nucleus-encoded gene, can be restored by inserting a transgene. The transgene contains the non-mutated allele of the sterility gene, such that the transgene functions as a wild type allele. The fertility restoring transgene is genetically coupled to another transgene, which prevents transfer of the transgene via pollen (pollen killer). As a result, only hemizygous seeds are produced through the self-pollination of the transgenic line, playing a major role in the efficiency of the system.

The transgene also contains an expression cassette that marks the seeds with red fluorescence. As a result, transgenic seeds can be easily differentiated from non-transgenic seeds. Because the transgenic seeds are fertile, the plants are automatically separated into fertile and sterile plants. The mother plants necessary for hybrid production are thus obtained by sowing the non-transgenic seeds, and the transgenic seeds can be used as the paternal line for further reproduction of the maternal line (Maintainer line), and also can be reproduced through simple selfing (FIG. 5). The SPT system can theoretically be applied to all types of plants. This requires the presence of a genetically male sterile line and knowledge of the gene responsible for the genetic male sterility phenotype. As a result, the SPT system could theoretically also be used for developing a hybrid system for every type of cultivated plant, such as the sugar beet or potato.

The present invention also relates to host cells that contain the described vectors, recombinant DNA molecules and/or nucleic acid molecules. A host cell as set forth in the invention can be a prokaryotic (e.g. bacterial) or eukaryotic cell (e.g. a plant cell or yeast cell). The host cell is preferably an agrobacterium or a plant cell. The present invention more preferably relates to a transgenic plant cell comprising the nucleic acid molecule according to the invention as a transgene or the vector of the present invention. Such a transgenic plant cell is a plant cell, for example, that is transformed, preferably in a stable manner, with the nucleic acid molecule according to the invention. In a preferred embodiment of the transgenic plant cell, the nucleic acid molecule is operatively linked to one or more regulatory sequences, which permit the transcription, and optionally the expression, in the plant cell. The overall structure comprising the nucleic acid molecule and the regulatory sequences thus represents the transgene. Such regulatory sequences comprise a promoter or a terminator, by way of example. The person skilled in the art knows of numerous functional promoters and terminators that can be used in plants.

The identification of the CYPgst gene that is responsible for the trait expression of the recessive, nucleus-encoded male sterility, is also used in the invention to produce transgenic plants with this trait expression and to thus restore fertility.

In one embodiment, a kit is claimed, which comprises the recombinant DNA molecules, or nucleic acid molecule sand vectors, respectively, described above, which are necessary for producing plants with nucleus-encoded, recessive male sterility, as well as to restoring fertility in plants with this phenotype. This kit also contains recombinant DNA molecule, which either comprise the promoter with a previously defined nucleotide sequence, or a heterologous promoter, where the former is linked to a heterologous nucleic acid molecule, and the latter is linked to a previously defined nucleotide sequence encoded for the non-mutated (wild type) CYPgst gene. Moreover, the kit can contain a vector, wherein the DNA molecule as a transgene is able to express a functional CYPgst gene, and is preferably genetically coupled to another transgene that prevents transfer of the DNA molecule via pollen, and has an expression cassette that marks the seeds. The kit can contain a previously defined nucleic acid molecule for identifying the mutation in the CYPgst gene, that hybridizes on a previously described nucleotide sequence comprising the non-mutated (wild type) CYPgst gene or on the corresponding gene with a previously defined mutation, or it can contain the oligonucleotide defined above. The kit can also contain the CYPgst gene described above, or a fragment thereof, as well as the above antibodies. The kit also preferably contains reagents for nucleic acid-based or immunological detection methods.

A transgenic plant is a plant, for example, that contains plant cells that are transformed with the DNA molecule/nucleic acid molecule according to the invention, or with the vector of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment of the transgenic plant, the DNA molecule/nucleic acid molecule is operatively linked to one or more regulatory sequences that permit transcription, and optionally the expression in the plant. The overall structure comprised of the nucleic acid molecule according to the invention and the regulatory sequences thus represents the transgene. The term “transgene” thus refers to a recombinant polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid sequence.

The oligonucleotides, nucleic acids, DNA molecules and vectors described above can also be used to produce a transgenic plant. The present invention therefore also relates to the use of these in producing a transgenic plant that displays a recessive, nucleus-encoded, homozygous male sterile phenotype, characterized in that the expression of the CYPgst gene is inhibited in the production of a plant according to the invention with restored fertility or in the production of a transgenic host cell, preferably a plant cell. Furthermore, the oligonucleotides, nucleic acids, DNA molecules and vectors described above can also be used in the corresponding methods for producing these transgenic plants or plant cells. The transgenic plant is preferably a crop plant or more preferably a cultivated plant.

There are various methods in the prior art with which transgenic plants can be produced and identified or selected, in which either the transcription/translation of a protein is suppressed or the restoration feature is introduced. Methods for producing transgenic cultivated plants and the identification thereof though molecular biology methods are known to the person skilled in the art; see, e.g., for transgenic glyphosate-resistant sugar beets, international patent applications WO 99/023232 and WO2004/074492, or for the transformation of plants in general, WO2000/018939 and WO2013/138309.

Accordingly, one embodiment of the invention is a method for producing a plant displaying a recessive, nucleus-encoded, homozygous male sterile phenotype, characterized in that the expression of the CYPgst gene is inhibited, wherein this plant is preferably a crop plant, and more preferably a cultivated plant. A recombinant DNA molecule expressing a polynucleotide is introduced into the plant cell by means of transformation, e.g. using a vector, such that the expression of the polynucleotide results in inhibition of the CYPgst protein.

By way of example, the mutation described above resulting in inhibition of the CYPgst expression can be obtained through genetic recombination during a crossbreeding process between the plants, wherein one of the plants carries the mutated CYPgst allele.

In addition to the use of conventional breeding programs for generating a genetic recombination, modern biotechnology provides the person skilled in the art with numerous other tools that enable a precise genome engineering. By way of example, T-DNA tagging can be used to destroy the CYPgst gene through insertion mutagenesis. Furthermore, the CYPgst gene can be entirely or partially deleted through genetic mutation, by means of TALE nucleases (TALENs) or zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and CRISPR/Cas systems, which have been described in WO 2014/144155 A1 (Engineering Plant Genomes Using CRISPR/Cas systems) and in Osakabe & Osakabe, Plant Cell Physiol., 56 (2015), 389-400, such that an expression of the CYPgst gene is prevented. This can also be achieved using the method referred to as TILLING (Targeted Induced Local Lesions in Genomes), wherein point mutation, as described in the German patent application DE 10 2013 101 617, for example, is caused in the wild type gene, and plants are subsequently selected that display a suitable, i.e. resistance-providing, gene, e.g. a barley that exhibits resistance to the yellow mosaic virus; see DE 10 2013 101 617, pp. 4, 8, and 12 in paragraphs [0014], [0026], and [0038]. The TILLING method is also described comprehensively in the publication by Henikoff et al. (Henikoff et al., Plant Physiol., 135, 2004, 630-636). Point mutations in the CYPgst gene in Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, that might result in stop codons or spicing errors are listed in Table 1.

An inhibition of the expression is also possible with RNAi approaches or co-suppression. These comprise introducing the recombinant DNA molecule or nucleic acid molecule defined above, or the corresponding vector, into the plant, wherein the expression of the encoded shRNA, negative sense RNA, or positive sense RNA molecules results in inhibition of the expression of the CYPgst gene. Such RNAi and/or co-suppression based methods are typical methods for inhibiting gene expression and are known to the person skilled in the art. A positive sense approach, comprising a target-specific non-polyadenylate RNA molecule, can result in inhibition of the CYPgst gene expression. This method is described by way of example in the international patent application WO2001/012824.

A further embodiment of the invention comprises a method for restoring fertility in a plant according to the invention, comprising the introduction of a functional CYPgst gene into the plant. The CYPgst gene can be introduced using genetic engineering methods; by means of a recombinant DNA according to the invention, preferably containing transcription control elements, preferably a promoter for the specific expression of the gene in closed flowers and/or fruit, or by means of the vectors according to the invention. The CYPgst gene can also be introduced through crossbreeding with a plant that carries the CYPgst wild type gene or a functional CYPgst gene, preferably in the homozygous state. Optionally, a selection for the presence of the CYPgst wild type gene or the functional CYPgst gene can take place in the descendants following the crossbreeding.

The subject matter of the present invention is a plant that contains a previously defined plant cell and/or that is obtained through the method described above. This means a plant with a nucleus-encoded, recessive male sterile phenotype, as well as a plant with restored fertility, is either produced through genetic recombination using conventional breeding methods or it is a transgenic plant in which the expression of the CYPgst gene is inhibited through the various aforementioned methods, resulting in a nucleus-encoded, recessive, male sterile phenotype, or in the restoration of the fertility through the introduction of recombinant DNA molecules. This plant is preferably a cultivated plant, particularly preferably a crop plant, preferably with storage organs, which can potentially also function as reproductive organs, such as beet roots or tubers from sugar beets and potatoes, grain from triticale, oats, millet and corn, fruit, e.g. tomatoes, etc. In one embodiment, the lower plants and the thale cress Arabidopsis thaliana are explicitly excluded from the present invention.

In addition to the plants that exhibit a nucleus-encoded, recessive, male sterile phenotype through spontaneous mutation in the CYPgst gene, or the plants in which this phenotype is added through genetic recombination using conventional breeding methods, or the plants in which this phenotype has been added through genetic engineering using modern biotechnology, and the plants in which the fertility has been restored through corresponding methods, the invention also relates to organs, plant parts, tissues, cells, and seeds or descendants of these plants. In one embodiment, the seeds or descendants have one or more of the mutations defined above, which lead to inhibition of the CYPgst gene expression and/or the seeds or descendants exhibit a recombinant DNA molecule or nucleic acid molecule or vector described above.

A method for identifying a plant according to the invention likewise forms one embodiment. Both the plant that exhibits a nucleus-encoded, recessive, male sterile phenotype through spontaneous mutation in the CYPgst gene as well as a plant in which this phenotype was added through genetic recombination suing conventional breeding methods or a plant in which this phenotype was added through genetic engineering using modern biotechnology can be identified with this method. Furthermore, a plant in which the fertility has been restored through the corresponding method can be identified with this method. A previously defined nucleic acid molecule serving as a hybridization probe can be used to identify this plant according to the invention, having a minimum length of 15 nucleotides and which binds specifically on a previously defined nucleotide sequence comprising the non-mutated (wild type) CYPgst gene and the CYPgst gene with a previously defined mutation that results in inhibition of the gene expression. Furthermore, the oligonucleotide defined above, the CYPgst protein defined above or a fragment thereof, and the antibodies as well as components of the kit described above can be used for the identification.

The present invention also relates to the use of recombinant DNA molecules or nucleic acid molecules, vectors according to the invention, and components of the kit according to the invention for producing a recessive, nucleus-encoded, male sterile plant, for producing a plant with restored fertility, for producing a hybrid plant, in resistance breeding programs, or for seed production.

A method for producing reversible male sterility in a plant, in which the CYPgst gene can be used, is described by way of example in the international patent application WO96017945, comprising:

-   (a) introduction of a first recombinant DNA molecule into the genome     of a pollen producing plant that can be genetically transformed,     wherein the first recombinant DNA molecule comprises:     -   (i) a nucleotide sequence that encodes a genetic product that         inhibits the pollen formation or function, depending on the         expression in the plant, in this case the CYPgst gene according         to the invention, or a genetic product, e.g. through expression         of an RNAi sequence;     -   (ii) an operator that controls the expression of the nucleotide         sequence; and     -   (iii) a promoter that is specific for cells that are critical         for pollen formation or the function thereof, wherein the         promoter is functionally linked to the nucleotide sequence that         encodes a genetic product; -   (b) optionally, breeding the plant obtained in step (a), under     conditions that permit male sterility to be obtained as the result     of the nucleotide sequence expression; -   (c) crossbreeding the male sterile plants from (a) or (b) with     pollen from a male fertile line in order to generate a hybrid plant     that is male fertile, wherein the pollen from a second recombinant     DNA molecule comprises: a nucleotide sequence that encodes a DNA     binding protein and represses the transcription, and a promoter that     controls the expression of the nucleotide sequence, wherein the DNA     binding protein is able to bind the operator of the recombinant DNA     of the male sterile plant, and repress the transcription.

Another system for producing pollen-sterile plants, in which foreign DNA is introduced into the nuclear genome, and can be used according to the invention, is described in the European patent application EP 0 344 029.

The present invention also relates to the use of the plants according to the invention for breeding or producing descendants, wherein the nucleus-encoded male sterile phenotype is used for recurrent selection. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to seeds or descendants, or organs, plant parts, tissues, or cells thereof, in addition to the plant according to the invention, used in the production of products normally made of renewable raw materials, such as food and feed, preferably sugar or syrup (molasses), wherein the molasses is also used for industrial applications, e.g. in fermenting alcohol, or as a nutrient for the production of biotechnology products, in the production of raw materials or substances for the chemical industry, e.g. fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals or the ingredients thereof, diagnostic products, cosmetics, bioethanol or biogas. One example of the use of sugar beets as a biogenetic raw material in biogas facilities is described in the patent application DE 10 2012 022 178 A1, see, e.g., paragraph 10.

Lastly, the present invention also relates to products obtained from the plants, organs, plant parts, issues, cells, seeds and descendants according to the invention, such as food, feed, and raw materials contained in a plant, seeds, descendants, organs, plant parts, tissues or cells, or components thereof.

The following examples explain the invention without limiting the subject matter of the invention thereto. If not otherwise indicated, microbiological standard methods are used, see, e.g., (Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning; A Laboratory Manual, 3^(rd) ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 2001), Fritsch et al., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; 1989; Mayer et al., Immunochemical Methods In Cell And Molecular Biology, eds. Academic Press, London, 1987) and Weir et al., Handbook of Experimental Immunology, Volumes I-IV, Blackwell, eds., 1986).

EXAMPLES

1. Identification of a Locus that Causes Nucleus-Encoded Male Sterility

A donor with the internal label C311 [2043_K5] was used as the starting plant for identifying a locus that causes nucleus-encoded male sterility in sugar beets, which displays a recessive, nucleus-encoded, male sterile phenotype (working name gst). The presence and zygotic degree of the fundamental trait expression gst locus from this donor cannot, however, be checked in advance (i.e. before flowering) in the test material. Instead, a large number of putative sterile plants must be brought to the flowering stage in the field, or in a selfing block (S-block). Flowering plants are then manually examined for fertility or sterility, respectively (FIG. 1). Fertile individuals can subsequently be removed, and seed from sterile individuals can be harvested.

For a genetic and physical limitation of the gst locus that causes nucleus-encoded male sterility, a divided sugar beet mapping population for the trait is created. The target region on chromosome 1 was already known from initial pre-information of a genome-wide mapping. Male sterile individuals of the gst donor C311 [2043_K5] were crossbred with an annual line and the resulting F1 individuals are reproduced through self-fertilization. Descendants of the 51 generation were subsequently phenotyped for the mapping, and marked with KASP-DNA marker (KASP™ genotyping chemical from LGC Limited). 2 KASP-DNA markers, sxn2151s01 and sle3305s02, were developed, by means of which the genotype carrying the gst-locus could be distinguished from the reference genotype KWS2320 by identifying an SNP. The sxn2151s01 marker sequence in SEQ ID No. 24 and the sle3305s02 marker sequence in SEQ ID No. 26 indicate the presence of the gst locus; the sxn2151s01 marker sequence in SEQ ID No. 25 and the sle3305s02 marker sequence in SEQ ID No. 27 indicate the reference sequence, wherein the marker sequences each differ at nucleotide position 21 and there is a “G” at this location in the genotype carrying the gst-locus, and an “A” at this location in the reference group genotype KWS2320. As a result of this fine mapping, the region on chromosome 1 of the sugar beet genome that is flanked by the KASP-DNA markers sxn2151s01 at 33.42 cM and sle3305s02 a 35.15 cM (based on the genetic map ZR INT 1202) and carries the gst locus is clearly isolated. Based on the physical genome map (Physmapv2), this region has a physical size of 215.4 kbp and lies between positions 3185718 bp and 3401120 bp. Based on the identified position and the publically obtainable genome notation RefBeet 1.2 (http://bvseq.molgene.mpg.de/), 21 protein-encoding genes were identified that were located in this genome segment.

Homologous genes in model plants (e.g. Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa) were examined for all 21 gene models using bioinformatics approaches. A comprehensive analysis and assessment was carried out on the basis of the identified homologous genes in model plants. A gene encoded in the gst locus identified as a member of the family of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs) on the basis of this comprehensive analysis of the sequences and the predicted structures. Despite considerable sequence diversity in the cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, all of the CYPs have common structural traits that are highly preserved in the region of the active center (see, e.g., Fischer et al., Bioinformatics 23 (2007), 2015-2017), and which were also found for the putative gst gene. The gene is called CYPgst for this reason.

With a more specific characterization of this gene, an Arabidopsis thaliana CYP gene was identified, i.e. CYP703A2, that exhibited a high sequence identity to this gene from the gst locus. An Arabidopsis thaliana mutant, in which this gene is deactivated through insertion of a T-DNA, displays a partial, or semi-male sterile phenotype (Morant et al., Plant Cell 19 (2007), 1473-1487). This can be explained on a mechanical basis through a function of the CYP703A2 in the synthesis of sporopollenin, the main component of the external layer of vital pollen. The absence of an external layer interrupts the maturation of the pollen, or leaves it vulnerable to environmental effects. There are, however, two substantial differences between the gst phenotype in the sugar beet phenotype and the phenotype of the described Arabidopsis mutant:

-   (i) in contrast to Arabidopsis, the knockout of the gene in sugar     beets results in full male sterility, and -   (ii) while sterile pollen is fundamentally generated in Arabidopsis     mutants, however, no pollen is formed in gst sugar beets according     to the current state of analysis.

Therefore, the possibility should not be dismissed that these are different members of the CYP family and/or that the function of the two proteins is different in Arabidopsis and sugar beets. In addition, there is the fact that Arabidopsis is a wild herb from the family of cruciferous plants, with a compact, small genome, while the sugar beet is a cultivated plant, i.e. a plant that is grown, cultivated and bred by humans, used as a crop plant. As a result, experiments on Arabidopsis, and the results thereof, cannot be simply applied to cultivated plants. Furthermore, there are also important, agricultural processes with crop plants that never take place in Arabidopsis. These include, e.g., formation of beet roots, tubers and grain that function as storage organs and as vegetative reproductive organs, and interactions with symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi or pathogens that are not associated with Arabidopsis.

2. Characterization of the CYPgst Gene

After identifying the potential gene resulting in the gst phenotype, a comparative sequencing of a fragment of genomic DNA, comprising approx. 5 kbp, takes place. The fertile sugar beet reference genotype KWS2320, the sterile gst donor C311, and three individuals of the aforementioned fine mapped population that have been classified according to phenotypes and marker data as sterile, and three individuals thereof that have been classified according to phenotypes and marker data as homozygous fertile, were sequenced. The sequenced genome region comprises the gene model for BvCYPgst (GST, g6845.t1) shown in FIG. 2, and also approx. 1.5 kbp of the putative promoter region. The comparative sequencing discloses, aside from a series of Small Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) between sterile and fertile individuals, a 533 bp deletion in sterile genotypes that comprises the 5′UTR and the first exon of the gene model (FIG. 2 and FIG. 3).

The analysis of all of the identified polymorphisms showed that some of the deletions had an effect on the encoded protein, while all of the other mutations were either in untranslated regions, or generated synonymous codons. These deletions, in contrast, prevented a concrete transcription of the mRNA and the translation of functional protein is therefore impossible. Subsequent transcription analyses confirmed these findings (FIG. 5). BvCYP703A2 (GST, g6845.t1) is very specifically expressed in closed flowers and fruit in fertile genotypes. No expression thereof could be detected in roots and leaves. In contrast, expression of the GST gene cannot be detected in closed flowers in sterile genotypes, such that it can be concluded that the gene in sterile genotypes is fully deactivated.

Lastly, DNA markers were developed that can discriminate between sterile and fertile genotypes. KASP markers were developed for this that display the fertile allele (insertion) as a dominant trait (sle5983d14, sle5983d17).

rnaName Primer_forward Primer_reverse s1e5983d14 SEQ ID NO: 4: SEQ ID NO: 5: ACCAAAATTTTATACCAATGGCTCAAG GGCCGGGAGGGAGTTTGTATGTT s1e5983d17 SEQ ID NO: 6: SEQ ID NO: 7: AGAAATCATACGTGAGATCTTAGTTCG GGTATGTGGACGAGACGCAAATACAT

As a result, a conclusion can be drawn indirectly, regarding the present homozygous deletion, when both dominant markers (sle5983d14, sle4983d17) display a zero allele, and a third, ubiquitous marker confirming sufficient quality of the DNA extraction. Potential point mutations in the BvCYPgst gene resulting in a premature transcription interruption of the CYPgst gene, or can cause a disruption in the splicing, which can be tested using conventional methods for detecting DNA point mutations (SNP analysis), are compiled in the following Table 1.

TABLE 1 Potential point mutations in the CYPgst gene from Beta vulgaris subspecies vulgaris, that can lead to a premature transcription interruption in the CYPgst gene, or can cause a disruption in the splicing. Position gemäβ Auswirkung der SEQ ID Nr. 1 Nukleotid Mutation Mutation 1771 G T STOP Codon 1778 T A or G STOP Codon 1788 T A or G STOP Codon 1790 T A or G STOP Codon 1797 T A STOP Codon 1813 A T STOP Codon 1820 T A or G STOP Codon 1824 C A or G STOP Codon 1825 C T STOP Codon 1829 G A STOP Codon 1830 G A STOP Codon 1834 A T STOP Codon 1842 C A or G STOP Codon 1844 T A or G STOP Codon 1848 C A or G STOP Codon 1857 C A or G STOP Codon 1858 A T STOP Codon 1883 G A STOP Codon 1884 G A STOP Codon 1889 T A or G STOP Codon 1894 G T STOP Codon 1906 C T STOP Codon 1940 C A or G STOP Codon 1947 T A STOP Codon 1948 G T STOP Codon 1951 A T STOP Codon 1956 T A or G STOP Codon 1964 T A or G STOP Codon 1971 C A or G STOP Codon 2014 G T STOP Codon 2026 G T STOP Codon 2033 T A or G STOP Codon 2038 C T STOP Codon 2041 C T STOP Codon 2075 T A or G STOP Codon 2090 T A STOP Codon 2097 C A or G STOP Codon 2117 T A STOP Codon 2128 G T STOP Codon 2138 G A STOP Codon 2139 G A STOP Codon 2140 A T STOP Codon 2143 A T STOP Codon 2149 A T STOP Codon 2160 C A STOP Codon 2164 G T STOP Codon 2171 T A STOP Codon 2182 A T STOP Codon 2185 C T STOP Codon 2191 G T STOP Codon 2218 G T STOP Codon 2224 C T STOP Codon 2231 T A STOP Codon 2236 C T STOP Codon 2246 T A or G STOP Codon 2260 A T STOP Codon 2266 A T STOP Codon 2279 T A STOP Codon 2284 G T STOP Codon 2291 T A or G STOP Codon 2320 A T STOP Codon 2327 T A STOP Codon 2335 A T STOP Codon 2338 C T STOP Codon 2343 C A or G STOP Codon 2368 C T STOP Codon 2380 G T STOP Codon 2401 G T STOP Codon 2405 T A STOP Codon 2411 G A STOP Codon 2412 G A STOP Codon 2414 T A or G STOP Codon 2423 T A STOP Codon 2430 C A or G STOP Codon 2432 T A STOP Codon 2442 T A or G STOP Codon 2444 T A STOP Codon 2453 G A STOP Codon 2454 G A STOP Codon 2459 G A STOP Codon 2460 G A STOP Codon 2472 T A or G STOP Codon 2473 G T STOP Codon 2478 T A STOP Codon 2479 G T STOP Codon 2482 A T STOP Codon 2485 A T STOP Codon 2494 G T STOP Codon 2500 G T STOP Codon 2503 A T STOP Codon 2527 A T STOP Codon 2536 G T STOP Codon 2539 G T STOP Codon 2548 A T STOP Codon 2551 G T STOP Codon 2554 A T STOP Codon 2557 A T STOP Codon 2563 A T STOP Codon 2566 G T STOP Codon 2569 G T STOP Codon 2575 G T STOP Codon 2584 G T STOP Codon 2590 G T STOP Codon 2612 T A STOP Codon 2615 T A STOP Codon 2621 T A STOP Codon 2629 G T STOP Codon 2635 G T STOP Codon 2641 G T STOP Codon 2665 A T STOP Codon 2677 C T STOP Codon 2679 G A Spleiß-Mutation 2680 G A Spleiß-Mutation 2681 T A Spleiß-Mutation 3505 A C or G or T Spleiß-Mutation 3506 G A or C ot T Spleiß-Mutation 3535 C A or G STOP Codon 3549 G T STOP Codon 3553 G A STOP Codon 3554 G A STOP Codon 3564 G T STOP Codon 3573 A T STOP Codon 3594 A T STOP Codon 3600 C T STOP Codon 3603 C T STOP Codon 3606 G T STOP Codon 3624 G T STOP Codon 3633 C T STOP Codon 3645 G T STOP Codon 3649 C A or G STOP Codon 3671 C A or G STOP Codon 3680 T A STOP Codon 3690 G T STOP Codon 3699 C T STOP Codon 3724 T A or G STOP Codon 3735 G T STOP Codon 3739 C A or G STOP Codon 3767 T A or G STOP Codon 3811 T A or G STOP Codon 3813 G T STOP Codon 3825 A T STOP Codon 3832 G A STOP Codon 3833 G A STOP Codon 3843 G T STOP Codon 3854 C A or G STOP Codon 3858 G T STOP Codon 3861 A T STOP Codon 3868 G A STOP Codon 3869 G A STOP Codon 3874 T A STOP Codon 3879 G T STOP Codon 3885 A T STOP Codon 3891 G T STOP Codon 3903 G T STOP Codon 3915 A T STOP Codon 3922 T A or G STOP Codon 3939 A T STOP Codon 3942 A T STOP Codon 3945 A T STOP Codon 3950 T A STOP Codon 3982 T A STOP Codon 3987 G T STOP Codon 3991 T A STOP Codon 4018 G A STOP Codon 4019 G A STOP Codon 4021 T A or G STOP Codon 4032 G T STOP Codon 4038 A T STOP Codon 4044 G T STOP Codon 4047 G T STOP Codon 4059 A T STOP Codon 4062 G T STOP Codon 4070 T A or G STOP Codon 4086 A T STOP Codon 4092 C T STOP Codon 4099 T A or G STOP Codon 4108 T A STOP Codon 4113 A T STOP Codon 4132 T A or G STOP Codon 4136 T A or G STOP Codon

3. Use of the CYPgst Gene or Locus in Hybrid Breeding

As explained above, the male sterile phenotype that gives rise to the gst locus is used in resistance breeding programs for simple crossbreeding in the framework of recurrent selection. Prior to the cloning of the gene in the framework of the present invention, and the associated development of genomic markers, four times as many plants must be grown and harvested than needed, due to the expected 3:1 phenotype division. These plants must be evaluated for sterility shortly after flowering, and fertile individuals must be removed, in order to prevent self-pollination. If numerous thousands of plants are grown per year, this manual selection is very labor intensive, and prone to error. Genomic markers according to the invention are now provided, see Example 2 and FIG. 2, with which it was possible, for example, to test 30,000 plants, and select 75,000 male sterile plants, that were subsequently planted.

There is a continuous effort to simplify breeding programs and seed production for sugar beets, and to reduce costs thereby. As such, commercial sugar beets are currently produced as triple-hybrids, in order to produce seeds of sufficient quality. The production of hybrids in the breeding program, thus in the non-commercial field, is likewise expensive and labor intensive, and is currently achieved by erecting dividing walls. It is now possible, using the gst phenotype according to the invention, and the associated DNA markers—after insertion of the gst locus, or after mutation/inhibition of the CYPgst gene in the breeding program—to select male sterile plants before the planting using DNA markers, and to thus simplify the production process. The parallel development of multi-germ tester genotypes (MUS testers), is likewise superfluous. In the long run, it is likewise conceivable to replace current CMS technologies with an alternative system with which the seed parent components can be made male sterile, e.g. by means of the SPT system specified above and shown in FIG. 5. Accordingly, it can also be reasonably assumed that CYPgst systems according to the invention can be used in other cultivated plants, in particular crop plants, as is the case in the commercial production of double-hybrids, such as corn. ms-genes play a major role in corn (Zea mays) in the development of alternative systems for producing hybrid seeds. Sequence analyses show that a putative corn homolog exists for BvCYPgst (GRMZM5g830329). There is a likewise large number of ms mutants in corn, of which only a portion have been cloned so far. The ms mutants can now be isolated by means of the present invention, the ms mutation of which can be attributed to a mutation, or inhibition of the corn homolog of BvCYPgst, and can be used in a targeted manner for seed production. The present invention can likewise be used in the development of a hybrid potato, e.g. in order to introduce targeted mutations in the potato homolog of the BvCYPgst gene, and to use the male sterility obtained in this manner in the potato to develop a diploid hybrid potato as set forth in the SPT system.

Lastly, the specific expression of the BvCYPgst gene in flowers and the tapetum enables a biotechnological use of the promoter, e.g. for expression of a positive sense/negative sense RNA or a ribozyme for inhibiting the BvCYPgst gene or for expression of a functional CYPgst protein, or a putative homolog, analog, or ortholog of the BvCYPgst gene to complement the mutation and restore the male fertile phenotype. It is assumed that the provision of the gene locus and the nucleic and amino acid sequences of the BvCYPgst gene, in addition to the genetic markers and the embodiments that are derived therefrom, is associated with a substantial simplification and savings in costs on the part of the breeding program, because, among other things, an early selection of sterile individuals is enabled. This likewise results in a logistical simplification and breeding expansion of the relevant programs. 

1. A plant, in particular a crop plant, that displays a recessive, nucleus-encoded male sterile phenotype, wherein the phenotype correlates to a mutation comprising the endogenic cytochrome P450 oxidase (CYPgst) gene, or to the absence, or low content or activity, of a functional CYPgst protein encoded by the CYPgst wild type gene in comparison with a corresponding (male fertile) wild type plant, characterized in that the CYPgst gene is a gene selected from: (a) BvCYPgst from Beta vulgaris, subspecies vulgaris, preferably comprising one of the nucleotide sequences in SEQ ID No. 1 or 2, or encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 3, or the homolog, analog or ortholog thereof; (b) StCYPgst from Solanum tuberosum, preferably comprising one of the nucleotide sequences in SEQ ID No. 12 or 13, or encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 14, or the homolog, analog or ortholog thereof; (c) ZmCYPgst from Zea mays, preferably comprising one of the nucleotide sequences in SEQ ID No. 9 or 10, or encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 11, or the homolog, analog or ortholog thereof.
 2. The plant according to claim 1, which is heterozygous for the mutation and male fertile, or is homozygous for the mutation and is male sterile, wherein the formation of functional pollen is suppressed in the sterile plant.
 3. The plant according to claim 1, wherein the mutation prevents transcription and/or translation of a functional protein, preferably wherein the mutation is a deletion, addition, insertion, or substitution in the encoding nucleic acid sequence of the CYPgst gene, in a splicing signal or in a regulatory sequence, preferably the promoter sequence, of the CYPgst gene, wherein the deletion in Beta vulgaris can preferably be detected by the absence of one or both marker loci sle5983d14 (amplification product of the primer with SEQ ID Nos. 4 and 5) and sle5983d17 (amplification product of the primer with SEQ ID Nos. 6 and 7) and by the presence of a ubiquitous marker, preferably wherein the gene is located in a segment on chromosome 1 between marker loci sxn2151s01 and sle3305s02, wherein the sxn2151s01 marker sequence in SEQ ID No. 24 and the sle3305s02 marker sequence in SEQ ID No. 26 indicate the presence of the gst locus, and the sxn2151s01 marker in SEQ ID No. 25 and the sle3305s02 marker sequence in SEQ ID No. 27 indicate the reference sequence.
 4. The plant according to claim 1, wherein the non-mutated gene (wild type gene) has a nucleotide sequence selected from the group composed of a: (a) nucleotide sequence containing the nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID No. 2, or a functional fragment thereof; (b) nucleotide sequence that encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 3; (c) nucleotide sequence capable of hybridizing a nucleotide sequence that is complementary to a nucleotide sequence according to (a) or (b) under stringent conditions; (d) nucleotide sequence that encodes an amino acid sequence, that displays differences to the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 3 in the form of amino acid deletions, substitutions, additions and/or insertions in the amino acid sequence, and is preferably identical to at least 60% of the entire amino acid sequence; (e) nucleotide sequence that encodes a protein with the same enzymatic activity as the protein encoded by a nucleotide sequence according to one from (a) to (d); and nucleotide sequence comprising at least 200 or 400, preferably at least 600 or 800, particularly preferably at least 1,000 consecutive nucleotides from the promoter in the nucleic acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 1, from nucleotide positions 1 to 1518, preferably from nucleotide positions 518 to 1518, particularly preferably from nucleotide positions 1318 to 1518, or a sequence that hybridizes in this region, wherein the nucleotide sequence is able to specifically control the expression of the gene, or a heterologous nucleic acid molecule that is operatively linked to the nucleotide sequence, in flowers and/or fruit.
 5. The plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant is an inbred plant or a hybrid plant, preferably a plant of the genus Zea, Solanum, Triticum, Triticale, Helianthus, Secale, Hordeum, Brassica, Brachypodium, Glycine, Gossypium, Sorghum, Saccharum, Setaria, Aegilops, Oryza, Daucus, Eucalyptus, Erythranthe, Genlisea, Musa, Avena, Nicotiana, Coffea, Vitis, Cucumis, Moms, Crucihimalaya, Cardamine, Lepidium, Capsella, Olimarabidopsis, Arabis, Raphanus, Eruca, Citrus, Jatropha, Populus, or Beta, preferably a plant of the type Zea mays, Solanum tuberosum, Triticum aestivum, Triticum durum, Triticum spelta, Helianthus annuus, Secale cereal, Hordeum vulgare, Hordeum bulbosum, Brassica napus, Brassica oleracea, Brassica rapa, Brassica juncacea, Brassica nigra, Glycine max, Gossypium sp., Sorghum bicolor, Triticale, Saccharum officinarum, Setaria italica, Oryza sativa, Oryza minuta, Oryza australiensis, Oryza alta, Brachypodium distachyon, Hordeum marinum, Aegilops tauschii, Daucus glochidiatus, Daucus pusillus, Daucus muricatus, Daucus carota, Eucalyptus grandis, Erythranthe guttate, Genlisea aurea, Musa sp., Avena sp., Nicotiana sylvestris, Nicotiana tabacum, Nicotiana tomentosiformis, Solanum lycopersicum, Coffea canephora, Vitis vinifera, Cucumis sativus, Moms notabilis, Crucihimalaya himalaica, Crucihimalaya wallichii, Cardamine flexuosa, Lepidium virginicum, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Olimarabidopsis pumila, Arabis hirsute, Raphanus sativus, Eruca vesicaria sativa, Citrus sinensis, Jatropha curcas, Populus trichocarpa or Beta vulgaris.
 6. A nucleic acid molecule or recombinant DNA molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group composed of a: (a) nucleotide sequence containing the nucleotide sequence in SEQ ID No. 2, or a functional fragment thereof; (b) nucleotide sequence that encodes the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 3; (c) nucleotide sequence capable of hybridizing a nucleotide sequence that is complementary to a nucleotide sequence according to (a) or (b) under stringent conditions; (d) nucleotide sequence that encodes an amino acid sequence, that displays differences to the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 3 in the form of amino acid deletions, substitutions, additions and/or insertions in the amino acid sequence, and is preferably identical to at least 60% of the entire amino acid sequence; (e) nucleotide sequence that encodes a protein with the same enzymatic activity as the protein encoded by a nucleotide sequence according to one from (a) to (d); and (f) nucleotide sequence comprising at least 200 or 400, preferably at least 600 or 800, particularly preferably at least 1,000 consecutive nucleotides from the promoter in the nucleic acid sequence in SEQ ID No. 1, from nucleotide positions 1 to 1518, preferably from nucleotide positions 518 to 1518, particularly preferably from nucleotide positions 1318 to 1518, or a sequence that hybridizes in this region, wherein the nucleotide sequence is able to specifically control the expression of the gene, or a heterologous nucleic acid molecule that is operatively linked to the nucleotide sequence, in flowers and/or fruit.
 7. A recombinant DNA molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a small hairpin RNA (shRNA), small interfering RNA (siRNA), negative sense RNA, positive sense RNA, or double-strand RNA, which, after expression or insertion thereof in a plant cell, results in inhibition of the expression of the functional CYPgst gene.
 8. The nucleic acid molecule according to claim 6, comprising a mutation in the form of a deletion, addition, insertion, substitution, wherein the mutation results in no synthesis of functional CYPgst protein.
 9. A nucleic acid molecule of at least nucleotides, that hybridizes specifically on a nucleotide sequence as defined in claim
 4. 10. A vector, preferably a plant vector, comprising a nucleic acid molecule or recombinant DNA molecule according to claim
 6. 11. A host cell containing a recombinant DNA molecule or nucleic acid molecule according to claim 6
 12. A kit comprising a DNA molecule or nucleic acid molecule, according to claim
 6. 13. A method for producing a plant, in particular a crop plant that displays a recessive, nucleus-encoded, homozygous male sterile phenotype, characterized in that the expression of the CYPgst gene is inhibited, preferably characterized in that the method comprises a step for inserting the recombinant DNA molecule according to claim
 7. 14. A method for restoring the fertility of a plant according to claim 1, comprising the insertion of a functional CYPgst gene in the plant.
 15. A plant containing a host cell according to claim
 11. 16. An organ, plant part, tissue or cell of the plant according to claim
 1. 17. A method for identifying a plant according to claim 1 comprising the detection of a mutation in the CYPgst gene, or a marker coupled to the mutation.
 18. A method comprising utilizing the nucleic acid molecule or recombinant DNA molecule according to claim 6 in the production of a recessive, nucleus-encoded, male sterile plant, in the production of a plant with restored fertility, in the production of a hybrid plant, in resistance programs, or for seed production.
 19. A method comprising utilizing the DNA molecule according to claim 14 for the specific expression of heterologous nucleic acid molecules in flowers and/or fruit of plants. 